Shinobi of the Ebon Blade
by CaptainPrice
Summary: Naruto is taken in under the protection of a Death Knight. Watch as Naruto grows to become the greatest Hokage. Naru/Hina/Tema and OC/Kurenai. SasuSaku bashing, Kakashi bashing will take place for a good chunk of the story. Naruto/WoW crossover.
1. The Story Begins

**Yo, CaptainPrice here, here's my new Naruto story. I decided to do a Naruto/Death Knight story. Now before you ask why I did this it's because I had a craving to write one. And no, I have not given up on any of the other stories, just being plowed with homework from school so it's a bit of a kick to the nuts at the moment. Now this story is rated M for Strong language, Violence/Gore, Suggestive themes, and lemons. The pairing of this story is Naru/Hina/Tema and OC/Kurenai. Now the OC is 'MY' Death Knight and is my actual DK in WoW so you need my permission to use him or any of my OC's from my other stories. Got that? Good, cause if I find out you use him without my permission, you're gonna be in a shitload of trouble. Now without any further things, let's get to the story! Read and Review when done please.**

**Disclaimer: I do 'NOT' own Naruto or WoW, they belong to the God's known as Masashi Kishimoto and Blizzard Entertainment. I 'DO' however own the OC 'Grimes'. So lawyers I have one thing to say to ya' (Suck on that!)**

**Bold-Inner Sakura, Kyuubi, DK abilities**

_Italics-Thoughts/Letters/Flashbacks_

"Quote"-Someone speaking

* * *

The early morning sky was blocked from dark grey clouds. Some dense fog surrounded the forest, concealing the village ahead. The air was damp from the late night rain. The man walked down the muddy path, his plated boots making a squishing sound with each step he took. The man was about six feet tall, he carried a two handed blade with him, his blade had blue aura emitting off of it. His cloak covered his head, blocking his eyes.

"The village Darion told me about should be dead ahead," the man muttered.

Rain began to fall as the man continued his walk. Shortly after the rain came, the man found himself looking up at the large gate to the village. A symbol above the gate had kanji on it reading, _'Konoha'_. The man entered the gate and was stopped by two voices.

"Hault," spoke the first.

"Yes?" the man asked.

"Do you have a reason to be here?"

"I've come to speak to someone known as the, Hokage. Where can I find him?"

"That depends, are you here on diplomatic reasons?" the second guard asked.

"Yes, and so I can get moving here's my passport," the man replied, tossing them his passport.

The guard caught it and frowned at the man. He looked at the papers before handing them back.

"Okay, the Hokage Tower is down this road," the first guard informed.

"Thank you," the man said, walking down the road.

* * *

A couple blocks away, a large mob of villagers and shinobi were chasing a blond haired boy. Many of them were holding various weapons and spouting words of anger. The boy was wearing a black t-shirt and orange pants. He had deep blue eyes, three whisker marks on each cheek, and spiky blond hair. He turned a corner, only to be caught in a dead end.

He backed up against the wall and shook with fright. The villagers were soon upon him. The boy cried out in pain as a kunai entered his thigh. The villagers grinned wickedly as they heard his cries of anguish.

"It hurts, doesn't it?" a Chuunin sneered.

"What did I do!?" the boy yelped.

"You killed our Fourth Hokage, and a lot of shinobi!" yelled a woman.

"Die, demon!" a Jounin bellowed.

"Help!" the boy cried.

* * *

The man was a few blocks away from his objective before he heard shouts. The man stopped and scanned the area for the source of the noise. He was about to continue, but he heard someone scream.

"Help me! Someone! Anyone!" the voice yelled.

Although the man was on a mission, he decided to see what was going on. He hurried down the road and rounded the corner to see a mob of people in the alley. Through the mass of people, he could see a boy who was beaten and bloody, lying motionless. The man was both shocked and disgusted at the sight. The man felt his anger rise at the shinobi and villagers in front of him.

"Time to die, demon!" yelled a shinobi.

The shinobi tossed a kunai at the boy's head. By this time, the man had seen enough. He vanished and appeared in front of the kunai. The was a clang as the kunai hit the man in the chest and fell to the ground. The mob looked at the man guarding the demon and glared.

"What the hell are you doing to this boy?" the man asked.

"We're doing this village a favor and killing that demon!" a villager spat.

"So, you're killing a defenseless child then?"

"He is going to kill us all! We need to kill him first!" a shinobi yelled.

There was a deadly pause as the man looked at the boy then at the mob. He turned to the mob and glared at them under his hood.

"I can't let you do that," the man said darkly.

He grabbed the hilt of his blade and pulled it out. The neon runes of the blade shone brightly, its aura flared dangerously.

"Then we'll have to kill you too!" shouted a villager.

The shinobi sent killing intent at the swordsman. The man blinked and smirked. These idiots had absolutely no idea what he was capable of. He felt his bloodlust get the better of him.

"You call **_'that'_**, killing intent?" the man asked, sounding amused. "Try this in for size!" he roared.

He released all his anger into his killing intent. The reaction he got was perfect. The temperature dropped to absolute zero, everyone could see their breath in front of them. The villagers cowered in fear and fell to their knees. The shinobi were doing no better, the majority of them were petrified with terror from the man in front of them.

"Kill him! Quick!" barked a shinobi.

A few villagers and shinobi charged the man. The man grinned malevolently and raised his palm.

"**Howling Blast!"** he roared.

All of the charging villagers and shinobi fell dead after being hit by a wave of frozen wind and ice. The mob stared wide eyed at the man.

"Kill him, you idiots!" the shinobi ordered again.

The man held his hand out towards the shinobi. A purple arm shot out of his hand and darted towards the shinobi. The hand wrapped around the shinobi and yanked him to the man. The shinobi landed in front of the man and was decapitated in a flash.

"What's going on here!?" a voice demanded.

Everyone turned to see an old man with white robes and a hat, with two masked shinobi on either side of him.

"Lord Hokage! This man is killing us!" a villager shouted.

"Yeah, we were minding our own business and he interfered by protecting the demon!" shrieked a woman with pink hair.

The Hokage glared at the woman and looked at the man protecting the boy.

"Anbu, get your squads rounded up and take these fools to the interrogation chambers!" barked the Hokage.

"Hai, Hokage-sama!" nodded an Anbu.

The villagers and remaining shinobi scattered. The Hokage walked to the man who picked the boy up.

"Are you the messenger of the, Ebon Blade?" the Hokage asked. The man turned to him and gave a curt nod.

"Yes, I'm a knight of the, Ebon Blade. My name is, Grimes." The man informed.

The Hokage nodded and placed a hand on Grimes' shoulder.

"Let's continue this conversation in my office," the Hokage muttered. The two of them vanished from the alley, via a shunshin.

* * *

The two of them appeared in an old office. Grimes carried the boy and set him gently on the couch. He turned and walked to a chair in front of the desk. The Hokage sat in his chair and lit his pipe. Grimes sat down and faced the Hokage.

"So, I see you have met the village pariah?" the Hokage inquired.

"The kid?" Grimes asked, pointing his thumb back at the boy.

"Yes, thank you for saving him. This is the third time this week."

Grimes was shocked at the Hokage's statement.

"If you don't mind me asking," Grimes began. "Why do they hate him so much?"

"If I tell you, it must not be voiced or I'll have you killed on sight, understood?"

"Judging by the seriousness of your voice, I'll take your word for it,"

The Hokage told Grimes the story of the Kyuubi and the Fourth Hokage sealing it into the boy, now dubbed Naruto, into him.

"I guess it would make sense that he chose his son for being the vessel," Grimes said, rubbing his eyes.

"How did you figure that out!?" the Hokage hissed.

"Come on, I'm not that stupid. The kid looks just like the Fourth, you'd have to be a complete moron not to see that," Grimes replied.

"Well I guess there's no hiding it, but he cannot know of this until he is older." The Hokage grunted. "But we will continue this topic later. But for now, we should talk about our alliance."

"Good idea, Darion will be off his rocker if I didn't talk about the subject at hand."

After they finished their conversation concerning their alliance, they heard a groan coming from the couch.

"Ojii-san?" Naruto asked, looking at the pair of them.

"Hey, Naruto, how are you feeling?" asked the Hokage.

"I'm okay," Naruto lied, pulling his knees to his chest.

The Hokage frowned at this and walked over to Naruto. He sat down by Naruto and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Naruto, what happened today?"

"Well, I failed the graduation test…again," Naruto murmured.

"Don't worry, you can take it again," the Hokage replied.

"I guess, but I don't have the ability because the instructors sabotage my training,"

"Why didn't you tell me? I'd have made sure you had the attention you needed,"

"I tried, but your attorney said you were never available,"

"Damn-it,"

Grimes looked at Naruto then the Hokage.

_"This kid…he's had a rough life. I can change that,"_ thought Grimes.

"Lord Hokage, can I ask you something?" Grimes requested.

"Go ahead, Grimes," the Hokage replied.

"Is Naruto still in the orphanage like you told me?"

"No, they kicked me out today," Naruto interjected.

"If it isn't too much trouble, Hokage-sama," Grimes began, "I'd be willing to adopt, Naruto if you'll let me."

The Hokage looked up with wide eyes then beamed. Naruto looked up and tears began to swell up in his eyes.

"R-Really?" Naruto croaked.

"Come here, Naruto. Give your big brother a hug," Grimes replied.

Naruto lunged at Grimes and tackled him into a bear hug. Grimes laughed at his little brothers reaction and ruffled his hair.

"Thank you, Grimes." the Hokage said, giving a small bow.

"No problem. I have one more request though," Grimes replied.

"What would that be?"

"I would like your permission to allow me to train Naruto to become a Death Knight. It will take about six years, and we will be back on his thirteenth birthday,"

"Very well, when he comes back he won't be pushed around by the villagers,"

Grimes nodded, he also mentioned that Naruto will become a shinobi after passing the test when he returns. The Hokage nodded and handed Grimes the papers for adoption. As Grimes signed the papers, the Hokage returned with Naruto's things in a backpack. Naruto retrieved his bag from the Hokage and gave him a hug.

"I'll be back and then I'll take your place as Hokage, Ojii-san!" Naruto grinned.

"I'll be looking forward to it, Naruto." the Hokage replied. "Now run along, Grimes is waiting for you,"

"Not really, I have a quick way to get to the Ebon Hold," Grimes informed.

"Really?" Naruto asked.

"Yep, now watch this, Naruto."

Grimes held his hand out and purple aura surrounded it. After ten seconds a portal opened. It was black and purple, a skull of a dragon was atop of it.

"Whoa," Naruto muttered.

"Let's go, Naruto," Grimes said, beckoning Naruto to follow him.

"Right!" Naruto nodded.

The two of them entered the portal and it vanished in a wisp of purple smoke.

"Why do I have the feeling that Naruto will come back a power freak?" Sarutobi asked himself. He shrugged it off and pulled out a certain orange book and giggled pervertedly.

* * *

**Well that's the first chapter of 'Shinobi of the Ebon Blade' I will try to get the next chapter for 'Son of a Hokage' up by this weekend. Review and tell me how you thought this was. I'll have the weapon and Bio of 'Grimes' at the bottom here. Till next time, CaptainPrice out!**

**Character:**

**Name: Grimes**

**Age: 17**

**Height: 6 '1'**

**Hair color: Brown**

**Eye Color: Neon Blue (All DK's eyes are like that so that was a waste)**

**Bingo Book Rank: SSS-Rank. Rules of engagement (Get the fuck out of there!) **

**Death Knight Rank: Pvt. (Darion hasn't promoted him yet for two reasons. One because he hasn't returned from the diplomatic mission 'yet'), second reason (Grimes put five dead chickens in his bed matress).**

**Specialty: Frost Spec**

**Weapons: (Greatsword of the Ebon Blade), (He also duel wields one handed swords, but doesn't show up till later)**

**DOB: 7/8**

**AD: (Age Died) 16. (He died when fighting the scourge in the Western Plaguelands, then he was resurrected by the Lich King into one Badass Death Knight.)**

**History: Grimes was born in Northshire, Elywynn Forest (Too lazy to wright the Place right,). Joined the Argent Dawn at age 14. Made rank of Sergeant in the Argent Dawn Regiment two months after joining. Grimes' squad was on a patrol in the Western Plaguelands, watching the Scarlet Crusade in Hearthglen. On the way back to their checkpoint, Grimes' squad takes a shortcut through Anderholl and is ambushed by the scourge. The fight lasted about five minutes because they were outnumbered greatly. Grimes' dies saving one of his friends from an attack. As he is dying he tells his friend to escape so he can cover her, she refuses to leave but Grimes manages to convince her to go. (You'll find out who she is later in the story) Grimes is then stabbed in the chest with a trident from an Abomination and dies shortly after.**


	2. Naruto Returns and the Genin Exam

**Yo, CaptainPrice here with the newest chapter of Shinobi of the Ebon Blade! This chapter focuses on Naruto's return and the genin exam. It will also go to flashbacks and what not. Now I decided to answer some questions from some reviewers. But in order to do that, I decided to invite Naruto and Grimes to help me. I do NOT own Naruto or WoW, I only own my Death Knight, Grimes. A/N: I was pretty surprised on the amount of reviews for the first chapter, thanks for posting and enjoy!**

**Naruto: Okay, so how is this going to go?**

**CaptainPrice: We're going to answer some reviews.**

**Grimes: Okay here's one. (Pulls out review letter)**

**CaptainPrice: From, Kyuubi16. (Good... Could you put Yugito in Naruto's harem for the hell of it?) Now, I will think about it, but I'm not so sure Kyuubi16. It's a possibility, but don't get your hopes up, I know you love the NaruxYugi pair a lot. Thanks for the review.**

**Naruto: Hmmm, might not be such a bad idea. She's got a nice rack.**

**Grimes/CaptainPrice: (Sweatdrop) ookay....**

**CaptainPrice: Okay this'n is from Cheese lover Tobi: (I LOVE IT! Sep that last part, where grims says COME AND IGVE YA BRO A HUG!  
That whole part just seemed to fast. I mean just said ill adopt ya and now call me big bro and hug and all that. Just seem to quick and rushed like ya just wanted it done with. Anyway love the rest of the story im a big wow fan so i cant wait to read more!) I see what you meen, but that was all I could think of to end the chapter, besides, Naruto had a shitty day. One can only take so much. Thank you for the review, I'll try not to disappoint ya'.**

**Grimes: ....How can someone spell my name wrong? I find that offensive!**

**CaptainPrice: Shut up and pull out another review.**

**Grimes: Prick... (Opens review and hands it to CaptainPrice)**

**CaptainPrice: Thank you, I do my best! Okay this one is from 4ndyM3: (Just a small question, however... Is Naruto going to have to die to become a death knight? I'm not sure Kyuubi is going to like that, seeing as if the host dies, so does the tenant. If Naruto dies to become a death knight, then you just killed off a very powerful being.) No, Naruto did not die to become a Death Knight, and Kyuubi wasn't sacrificed either. Read this chapter to see how it happens.**

**Naruto: Wow, that would've sucked, I was startin to like Fuzz Ball.**

**CaptainPrice: Whatever, now for the next and last reply for a viewer: Bleedndreamz, to sum it up for ya' I know you mean well, but it's my story. I don't consider it a flame, but from your review but from what you're suggesting is that Naruto should be a cold asshole and not have love for anyone. Now Grimes being SSS-Ranked, don't get me started on that, reason is because he's Darion's right hand man basically, so he's very powerful. Naruto's not Godly Powered in the Fic, not yet, but his power is around low Jounin. Now, I don't really care if you quit reading after this, but the things you stated will be in the story, minus Naruto having a deep hatred of Arthas. However he will be cold towards team 7 when it's formed. And lastly I personally don't think a harem will kill the fic, it will hopefully make it better. And just for a heads up HELL no Sakura is not in the Harem, she is gonna get bashed pretty damn hard. Thanks for the review, I'll take some of what your saying to mind, minus some of the other things.**

**Grimes/Naruto: well... come on. It's not like we'd be killing everyone and bent on revenge.**

**CaptainPrice: It's alright, it's just a story and it won't make everyone too happy, so just get use to it.**

**Grimes/Naruto/CaptainPrice: Now on with the chapter!**

* * *

**Bold- Inner Sakura/Kyuubi/Death Knight abilities.**

_Italics- Thoughts/Letters/Flashbacks_

**_Bold Italic- Kyuubi thinking_**

**"Quotes"-someone speaking**

**Opening for: Shinobi of the Ebon Blade Season 1 (chapters 1-10)**

**Breath-Breaking Benjamin**

**Outro for: Shinobi of the Ebon Blade season 1: My Spirit Will Go On-Dragonforce**

* * *

The sun shone brightly in the early morning sky. Today marked the day that Naruto left the village with his adoptive brother to become a Death Knight. It was also the day he was to return and take the Genin Exam. Although Naruto hadn't been taught the proper exercises of using chakra, the Hokage managed to hide some basic and advanced scrolls inside his bag before he left.

The two figures just entered the village and were walking to the Hokage's tower. One had shoulder length brown hair with a brown beard. The other had spiky blond hair with three whisker marks on each cheek. As they walked through the village, many villagers and shinobi looked at the two of them questioningly.

"Now I can see why the villagers look confused," the blond spoke. "But the Shinobi? That's just a fucking joke. Either they haven't been training these past years or they're just incredibly stupid,"

The brown haired man gave a hearty chuckle and ruffled the blonds head.

"True as it is, Naruto, they haven't seen you in six years." the brown haired man replied.

"Good thing they don't know it's me just yet. If so, I'd probably be fighting them right now,"

"Grimes, can I try to use the Shunshin?" Naruto asked.

"Yeah, we should give that a test to see if you truly mastered it," Grimes noted.

Naruto put a hand on Grimes' shoulder and focused his chakra. There was a gust of wind and the two of them vanished.

* * *

Naruto and Grimes felt their feet touch the ground and opened their eyes. They stood inside the Hokage's office and saw the Hokage doing paper work. Grimes cleared his throat to gain the Hokage's attention. The Hokage looked up and blinked before giving a grin.

"It's been awhile, Naruto, Grimes," Sarutobi greeted.

"It has been a little while, eh, Hokage-sama?" Grimes replied, with a grin.

The two of them took a seat in front of Sarutobi's desk and lounged back. Sarutobi lit his pipe and exhaled some smoke.

"So, I trust the training went well?" Sarutobi asked, folding his hands under his chin.

"Yes, Naruto is now one of the strongest Death Knight's of his group," Grimes said with pride.

"I think you're giving me a little too much credit, Grimes," Naruto informed.

"No, I'm not, Darion even said you were one of the best he'd seen in a long time," Grimes defended, crossing his arms.

"Now you're just spreading a load of bollocks, Darion is very rarely impressed,"

"I don't mean to interrupt this conversation, but we should discuss the success and defects Naruto had in his training," Sarutobi interjected.

"Right, sorry about that," Grimes said sheepishly.

Grimes and Naruto then explained to Sarutobi about what Naruto had learned during his training. Naruto had mastered the Frost abilities as well as little of the Unholy and Blood abilities. As for his success in his Shinobi abilities, he had learned the Kage-Bunshin, Kawarimi, Shunshin, a couple of fire and water jutsu. He had very high kenjutsu from his sparring with Grimes during their training. Naruto's taijutsu was average and his genjutsu level was low. If anything, Naruto was currently high Chuunin or low Jounin level at the most.

"Naruto, let me ask you something," Sarutobi requested.

"Go ahead," Naruto answered.

"How is it you can use the Kage-Bunshin but not the regular Bunshin?"

"The reason to why I can't is because I have extreme difficulty controlling small amounts of chakra." Naruto began. "Turns out I can only use high leveled techniques that require a lot of chakra and perform them without much difficulty because of the Kyuubi,"

"So, Grimes told you that you contained the, Kyuubi?"

"Yeah, but he assured me that I wasn't a demon,"

"Good, because you're not a demon, you're just its Vessel to keep it at bay," Sarutobi said, sending a small glare at Grimes.

"Well I thought he had the right to know that bit of information," Grimes said defensively.

"That aside, Naruto, I think you should head to the academy, the Genin Test is about to start," Sarutobi informed.

The Hokage pulled out a piece of paper and scribbled a quick note. He handed it to Naruto, who vanished upon retrieving it. Grimes sat there with Sarutobi in silence.

"So, now what?" Grimes asked.

"Why don't we watch his performance?" Sarutobi asked with a grin.

"With what?"

"I have a trusty little friend here,"

Sarutobi pulled out a crystal ball and the image came into focus. The two of them were now looking in an exam room. Multiple kids were sitting down getting ready to take the test. Two Chuunin entered the room and closed the door. One had silver hair while the other had brown hair tied into a pony tail. The kids kept bickering until the brown haired man did something unusual. His head grew twice the size of a normal one.

"Shut your fucking mouths!" he bellowed.

Grimes sweat dropped at the scene below him. He glanced at the Hokage then back at the orb.

"Does that happen daily?" Grimes asked, jerking his thumb at the orb.

"Only on, Wednesdays," Sarutobi replied.

* * *

Back in the exam room, the kids instantly quieted. If there was one thing that made them scared it was that big headed jutsu. Iruka sighed and read a piece of paper in front of him.

"Okay I'm going to take attendance," Iruka announced.

Before Iruka could continue, the temperature dropped significantly. Everyone shivered and chattered. Suddenly, there was a crack, and a blue flame spawned before Iruka. A figure stepped out of it and the fire vanished. The temperature warmed up again and everyone looked at the newcomer.

Almost all the girls blushed as they looked at the boy. He was wearing black combat boots, dark blue cargo pants, a grey linen t-shirt, a sleeveless black vest and brown fingerless leather gloves. He had a belt with side pouches going around his waist. His hair was blond and spiky, three whisker marks on each cheek and deep blue eyes. Many of the girls had various thoughts.

_"Wow! This guy is sexy!" _thought Ino

_"He seems familiar," _thought Hinata

_"Who does he think he is!?"_ Sakura thought callously.

_"Hah, just another loser I can beat,"_ thought Kiba and Sasuke.

_"Troublesome," _thought Shikamaru.

_"Hmm, new guy," _thought Choji.

_"My bugs fear him, I should stay sharp,"_ thought Shino.

"Is this room, 205?" the boy asked.

"Yes it is, who are you?" Iruka replied.

"Iruka, you didn't forget me too, did you?"

"Let me see that note quick,"

The boy handed Iruka the note. As Iruka read the note, his eyes widened.

"N-Naruto?" Iruka sputtered.

"Well at least you remember me," Naruto said with a small smile.

"Good to see you again. Why don't you take a seat in one of the empty spots?"

Naruto nodded and walked up towards, Hinata. He sat down and smiled at her.

"Hey, I'm Naruto, what's your name?" Naruto asked politely.

"M-my name is, H-Hinata," Hinata stuttered with a blush.

"That's a nice name for a pretty girl,"

Hinata blushed harder and pressed her index fingers together. She thanked Naruto quietly and turned to Iruka.

"Hey! Iruka-sensei! Why does that loser get to just enter when we've been here for years!?" Sakura shrieked.

"Wow, you don't even know me and you call me a loser?" Naruto asked. "Talk about shallow,"

"What did you say, baka!?" Sakura screamed.

Naruto turned to face her and sent a glare at her. Sakura glared back at him and was about to speak.

"I strongly advise you close your mouth or I'll do it for you," Naruto hissed.

"Ha! Yeah right you, baka…" Sakura began but suddenly clutched at her throat. Naruto lowered his hand and turned to face Iruka.

"Sorry about that, her voice was getting on my nerves," Naruto

"What did you do, Naruto?" Iruka asked, now interested.

"I used a technique called, **Strangulate**. It silences the person for a short period of time,"

Iruka was shocked but he nodded all the same. He began to pass out the written tests one by one. After the last one was out on the desk, Iruka walked back to his desk and sat down. During the test, Naruto answered the questions at random. He set his pencil down and leaned back in his chair. He closed his eyes and relaxed his mind.

**_"So, kit, how you doing?"_** a voice asked.

_"I'm doin okay, Kyuubi. You?"_ Naruto spoke.

**_"Fine, just been bored and I wanted some company,"_**

_"That's understandable,"_

**_"So are you ready to show these wimpy Genin what you're made of?"_**

_"You have no idea, Kyuubi,"_

Naruto opened his eyes and noticed Iruka picking up his paper. He looked at Naruto and gave a grin, which Naruto returned. Shortly after, Iruka walked up to the group of students, and cleared his throat.

"Well I will declare the scores for the test." Iruka began. "Top score with 100 was, Naruto. 99 with Sasuke, 98 for Sakura, 97 for Shino and Hinata, 90 for Ino, 83 for Kiba, 80 for Choji and 50 for Shikamaru,"

Naruto gave a brief shrug and turned his attention to Hinata. He gave the girl a grin and she blushed heavily.

"What!? That's impossible! Iruka-sensei, there must be a mistake, no one can beat, Sasuke-kun!" Sakura shrieked.

"I don't know how to burst your bubble there, but I didn't even try, I just speculated." Naruto informed.

"Enough! Sakura, Naruto did the test fair and square," Iruka said with authority.

Sakura just nodded and sat down in her seat again. Naruto turned around and gave her a small smirk.

"Now, the next portion of the test is outside." Iruka said walking to the door.

* * *

They all followed Iruka into the training fields. All of the students stood in a straight line and waited for further orders. Naruto turned his head after feeling the stares of two people. He saw both Kiba and Sasuke glaring at him. He gave them a bored look and faced the front.

"Okay, now I want one student at a time to head up to the line and throw your shuriken and kunai at the targets," Iruka stated.

Sasuke walked up to the line first and pulled out his throwing weapons. He threw the weapons and all of them hit the dummy. The fangirls cheered and gave praise to, Sasuke. The remaining students each went and hit their targets with hits and misses. Finally, it was Naruto's turn. He walked up to the line and pulled out his shuriken. Naruto took a deep breath and hurled his weapons at the dummy. He turned around and walked back towards the group, hands in his pockets.

"Ha! You missed, loser!" Sakura said with a smirk.

"And I care about this because?" Naruto asked, giving her a bored look.

"Because, Sasuke-kun, beat you!" Sakura yelled getting angry.

"I don't care if he beat me or if I beat him, I'm only good at close combat," Naruto said with a shrug.

"Naruto… you didn't miss the target," Iruka said with a smile.

"I didn't?" Naruto asked, somewhat perplexed.

He turned back to the target and noticed all of his shuriken were in vital and pressure spots of the dummy.

"Well, I'll be damned," Naruto muttered.

_**"I gotta' hand it to you, Naruto. You can put up quite a facade,"**_ Kyuubi commented.

_"Thanks,"_ Naruto thought with a smile.

Naruto was a little disappointed that the students didn't see through the mask. He would have thought Shino noticed, but the boy was just quiet. Naruto gave a satisfied grunt and walked back to, Hinata.

"He must have cheated! Sasuke-kun had the best…" Sakura began to yell, but began clutching her throat again.

"I can keep this up all day, but sadly we need to move on with the exam," Naruto said lowering his hand.

"Well, anyway, this year we have a bunshin and a sparring test." Iruka said sending Naruto a worried look. "Anyone want to go first?"

Just like before, Sasuke walked forward and made a perfect bunshin of Iruka. The other students went and did theirs just like Sasuke. Now, it was Naruto's turn. He walked up beside Iruka and cracked his knuckles.

"Okay, Naruto, you can do it. Make a standard bunshin," Iruka said with a smile.

"I can't," Naruto replied putting his hands behind his head.

"Ha! Loser!" Sakura yelled.

"Like I was saying… I can't because I have massive chakra reserves, I can't control little chakra but I can use techniques that require a lot of it," Naruto continued sending a glare at Sakura.

"Are any of them, clone jutsu?" Iruka questioned.

"Yeah, it's the Kage-bunshin," Naruto answered back.

"What!?" Iruka and Mizuki yelled.

"Is there a problem?" Naruto asked crossing his arms.

"No, just shocked." Iruka responded. "Go ahead and perform it,"

Naruto nodded and made a handsign. There were multiple cracks and smoke filled the training grounds. The smoke cleared and everyone's jaws dropped. In front of them stood around one hundred shadow clones.

"Too much?" Naruto asked innocently.

"How did you learn that, Naruto?" Iruka asked.

"I found it in a scroll, why?"

"No reason, just curious."

Naruto felt glares coming at him at noticed Kiba and Sasuke glaring at him. This time he glared back and felt like releasing some killing intent. As he was about to do it, Iruka spoke up again.

"Alright, now it's time for the sparring session of the exam," Iruka announced. Everyone sat down around the dirt arena.

"Now, for this part of the exam, the person will get a choice on who they want to fight," Iruka noted.

Naruto for his part was eager to really do some fighting. He hadn't fought anything since his Death Knight training. Although the training wasn't the real thing that Grimes had gone through, he went through a similar experience.

* * *

_/Flashback/_

_Naruto stood beside Grimes in the chambers. In front of them stood a Death Knight with two blades strapped to his back. He nodded at Grime and Naruto and motioned for them to come forth. The pair of them kneeled before the man and waited for him to speak._

_"I take it your mission was a success, Grimes?" the man inquired._

_"Yes, Highlord Mograine, I have successfully given the alliance treaty to the Hokage," Grimes replied._

_"Excellent work, then again, I had the feeling you wouldn't fail,"_

_"Thank you, sir," Grimes thanked._

_"I'm your friend, Grimes. Just call me my first name,"_

_"Very well, Darion."_

_Darion pulled out one of his swords and tapped Grimes on each shoulder._

_"Rise, Sergeant." Darion requested._

_Grimes stood up and saluted Darion with respect. The two of them turned their attention to the blond boy beside them. Darion quirked an eyebrow and looked at Grimes through his helmet._

_"Who's this?" Darion asked._

_"That's my new little brother," Grimes replied._

_"Wait, hold up a second," Darion said putting up a hand._

_"You have a little brother or did you take him in as one?"_

_"We might as well sit down, this is going to take a while,"_

_Grimes told Darion everything about the boy beside him. Darion felt his eyes widen during the story and he grew angry. How could a village do something like that to a kid? Grimes then went on and told him the story of the, Kyuubi. Naruto's eyes widened and he became horrified at the information. Grimes calmed him by telling him he wasn't the Kyuubi, but more like its vessel._

_"Okay Grimes, since I consider you one of my best friends, I'll help you train him." Darion voiced standing up._

_"Thank you, Darion." Grimes replied. "But how are we going to train, Naruto? We can't have him do the same thing I did to prove myself a Death Knight,"_

_"Granted that he won't be able to do them now, but it turns out, Gothik left behind a secret room upstairs,"_

_"You mean that psycho that collects souls?"_

_"Yes, he left a secret room upstairs that allows a person to go through a simulation of the Death Knight training,"_

_"Is it the same thing I did?"_

_"Yes, but he wouldn't have really done it in reality."_

_Grimes then nodded in understanding and looked back at Naruto. Darion motioned for them to follow him to a small circle of pink light. The three of them stepped on the platform and vanished from the room below. __They appeared in another room and noticed it was an old old arena with weird forges. Naruto observed the room in awe, only to be brought back by Darion's voice._

_"You'll learn about this during the training simulation, Naruto,"_

_Naruto nodded and hurried after Grimes and Darion. The three of them turned a corner and came to a small room with wooden beds set at a slant. They walked to a bed and brushed off some dust._

_"Okay, Naruto, hop onto the bed and relax." Darion instructed._

_Naruto did as he was told and lied on the bed. It was extremely uncomfortable, but then again, he was familiar with it. He felt a helmet being placed on his head and opened his eyes. No sooner had he done that, he felt very drowsy._

_"What's going on?" Naruto mumbled._

_"Naruto, listen closely." Darion began. "When you enter the simulation I want you to talk with the man holding a glowing sword with runes on it. You'll know what to do from there,"_

_Naruto felt his vision go dark and he fell into slumber._

_/Flashback End/_

* * *

"Naruto? Naruto!" a voice called.

Naruto's eyes opened and he glanced towards Iruka.

"It's time for your match, Naruto."

"Who am I going against?" Naruto asked stretching.

"That would be me, dobe," voiced Sasuke.

Naruto turned to Sasuke who was smirking at him. Naruto rolled his eyes in annoyance and walked into the arena. Sasuke looked at him with a smirk, while Naruto looked bored.

"Alright, no using weapons or lethal jutsu, understand?" Iruka inquired.

The two boys grunted and Iruka hopped out of the arena. Sasuke immediately charged Naruto and through a punch at his face. Naruto swerved out of the way and jabbed a pressure point on Sasuke's shoulder. Sasuke growled and kicked at Naruto's stomach, only for it to be caught. Naruto slammed Sasuke into the ground and delivered a punch to the stomach. Sasuke coughed out blood and gasped for breath. Naruto let go of Sasuke and began to walk away but he heard a shout.

"Katon! Goukyakuu no jutsu!" cried Sasuke.

Naruto turned around and saw a massive wall of flame heading towards it. Having built up enough ruinic power, Naruto waited for a moment before releasing his attack.

**"Hungering Cold!"** Naruto called. He held both hands out and the oncoming flames were frozen in a wall of ice.

There were a few gasps from the students and shocked looks from Iruka and Mizuki. Naruto had stopped a fire attack with ice, which should have been impossible. Sasuke growled in anger at Naruto's power and ran at the barriers. Naruto shunshined in front of Sasuke and through a punch across his face.

Sasuke was sent into the air and landed on the ground from the attack. He quickly got up and began a barage of kicks and punches. Naruto dodged and parried each attack and weaved around Sasuke. He hopped away and held out his hand, a skull with green aura appeared in his hand.

**"Death Coil!"** Naruto hissed.

Sasuke turned around to see Naruto launch a skull with green fire around it at him. He tried to dodge but it was too late. The attack hit him in the stomach and blasted him off his feet. Sasuke crashed through the barriers of ice Naruto created earlier, knocked out. There was silence as everyone stood agape. The new kid just crushed the rookie of the year in less than three minutes. Iruka, for his part was proud and amazed at Naruto's improvement.

"Winner of the fight, Uzumaki Naruto." Iruka declared.

There were shouts of anger from Sasuke's fan club. Mainly lots of screams and shrieks from, Sakura.

"Iruka-sensei! Naruto-baka, cheated!" Sakura shrieked.

"He attacked me with a lethal attack, I had the right of way for self defense," Naruto stated, matter-of-factly.

"You are such an, asshole!" Sakura yelled.

"And you're a fugly bitch, anything else I'm missing?" Naruto asked.

Sakura's eyes widened and she felt tears of rage build up in her eyes. She didn't like being called ugly, but being called fugly really shut her up. She wasn't that horrid was she? The only thing that made her ugly was her forehead. Oh, how little did she know.

"Okay that's enough. Everyone has past the exam, come and get your, hitai-ate." Iruka interjected.

Everyone walked over and picked up a hitai-ate. Naruto saw Iruka holding his headband out for him. Naruto took it with a smile and tied it around his head.

"Congratulations, everyone! Come back here in two days for team formations!" Iruka called over the cheering students.

* * *

Naruto exited the building to see parents greeting their kids. He hung his head slightly at the thought of not having parents waiting for him. He heard praises coming from other parents.

"I'm so proud of you, son!" cheered a man.

"My little girl a kunoichi!" boasted a woman.

"I'll have mom cook your favorite dinner as a celebration!"

"Good for you, son!"

Naruto's shoulders slumped as each praise was said. He was about to walk away until he felt a hand on his shoulder. Naruto looked up to see, Grimes, beaming at him. Naruto grinned and his brother ruffled his hair.

"Nice job, Naruto." Grimes began. "You didn't take shit from that, Uchiha. Let's go get some ramen to celebrate,"

"Yeah," Naruto nodded.

The two of them walked away from the academy, unaware of the angry glares coming from, Sasuke.

* * *

**Well, that's the chapter! Read and Review when done please, next chapter will come out as soon as I can finish it. Next chapter, Naruto confronts Mizuki. **


	3. Council Trouble and Confronting Mizuki

**Okay, here's the next chapter for, Shinobi of the Ebon Blade! Sorry this took so long, I was busy with school, I had spring break and finals. But I decided, "Let's get a chapter in!" not that anyone cares (Sweatdrop). Now just a quick announcement, this will be my last update until sometime in, May. I'm getting dragged out of the states against my will to go to a wedding on the other side of the world for an Uncle I've lost a lot of respect for. But anyway, just thought you should know that! Now without any further delay, here's the next chapter! Read and Review when done please!**

**Bold-Inner Sakura/Kyuubi/Death Knight powers**

_**Bold Italic- Kyuubi saying somethin in Naruto's mind/ Kyuubi thinking**_

_Itallic- Thoughts/Letters/Flashbacks_

**Disclaimer: I do ****NOT**** own Naruto or World of Warcraft, A.K.A. (WoW). I own the OC 'Grimes' and the idea of the story.**

* * *

Naruto and Grimes walked down the street from the academy, both of them ignoring the looks that were sent towards them. The distant aroma of ramen filled their nostrils as they neared the restaurant. They entered the stand and sat down in front of the counter.

"I'll be with you in a moment!" called a man.

"I got it, dad!" came a girls voice.

A brunette came out of the kitchen and up to them. She pulled out a pen and paper before looking up. She looked at the two customers, the blond looked familiar and the other was a brown haired man.

"What can I get for you two?" she asked.

"Ayame, don't tell me you forgot me as well?" Naruto replied looking hurt.

"Well, you look familiar, but I can't place my finger on it."

"I always came here to eat every day for breakfast, lunch and dinner."

"There was one person who… wait, Naruto!"

"The one and only."

Ayame wrapped him in a bone crushing hug, knocking the wind out of him. He felt his face heat up as it was buried in her chest. He hugged back somewhat struggling, which Ayame noticed. She blushed and released Naruto from her hold, he panted slightly but regained composure.

"Dad, look who's here!" Ayame hollered.

Teuchi hurried out to his daughter giving her a questioning look. He glanced at her then at the customers. One had brown hair with a beard, the other was blond. His eyes widened as he only knew there was one blond haired boy in this village.

"Naruto!" Teuchi sputtered.

"Long time no see, eh, old man?" Naruto asked with a smile.

* * *

Grimes and Naruto departed the stand an hour later, waving to Teuchi and Ayame. The pair of them began to walk home, but were stopped by two ANBU. Grimes immediately went on guard, his hand hanging by his side. Naruto narrowed his eyes at the ANBU and noticed Grimes getting ready for a skirmish.

"The Hokage has asked for your presence at the council chambers in ten minutes." the first spoke.

"Be there soon, the council wants to ask you some questions, and they tend to be very impatient." the second ANBU finished.

They nodded and the ANBU vanished upon delivering their message. Naruto began to walk towards the Hokage's Tower, Grimes following behind him. They began to jog towards the tower not wanting to be late. Naruto began to pull further ahead of Grimes and vanished around another corner. Grimes cursed his little brother for being very quick and began to speed up. He rounded the corner, only to collide into someone.

He fell to the ground with a crash and sat up swiftly. Grimes noticed he knocked over a woman and she pushed herself up. Being the gentleman he was, he walked over to the woman and held a hand out to her.

"Are you okay? I didn't see you there." Grimes spoke.

The woman looked up at him and Grimes' eyes widened considerably. In front of him was probably one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen. She had long raven black hair, intoxicating red eyes, luscious lips, beautiful curves and a soft face. She was wearing black shinobi sandals, a white bandaged dress and hitai-ate around her head. The woman grabbed his hand and he pulled her up. She brushed herself off and gave him a glare. Grimes was now taken aback, the glare he received made him very cautious. Even though she was a woman, Grimes could tell she could probably kick his ass into next Sunday.

"I'm fine, now watch where you're going!" she snapped.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bump into you. I was just trying to catch up to my little brother," Grimes replied letting go of her hand and backing up.

"Well go then, and if you bump into me again you'll be in a lot of pain."

Grimes gave a nod and ran as fast as he could from the woman. He continued his run and eventually came to the tower. He panted heavily and looked around for Naruto. He saw him standing in front of the doors to the tower, arms crossed. Grimes walked over to Naruto and gave a small nod.

"What took you so long?" Naruto asked as they entered the tower.

"I accidently bumped into a woman and knocked her over," Grimes said with a sheepish look.

"Did she have red eyes and raven hair?"

"Yeah, how did you know that?"

"I almost bumped into her but avoided her at the last second."

* * *

They came up to the desk and the woman came into view. She sent a small glare at Naruto before looking at Grimes.

"What are you doing here?" she asked rudely.

"We're here to see the Council and the Hokage." Grimes answered.

"Well they're in the room behind me, now go."

"She seemed very friendly." Naruto muttered sarcastically

* * *

Naruto and Grimes entered the room behind the attorney and closed the doors behind them. They walked to the center of the room and noticed the Hokage sitting in a seat between two sections of seats. One side was the Civilian Council and the other was the Shinobi Council.

"Ah, Naruto, Grimes, you made it," the Hokage said with a smile.

"Well of course we did, we didn't want to be late," Grimes began. "Now, what exactly have you called us for?"

"Well the Civilian and Shinobi Councils' would like to have a word with you," Hiruzen noted.

Grimes and Naruto looked to the right and saw many civilians glaring at them. Well, mainly they were glaring at Naruto. They just looked at Grimes with some confused looks. Grimes, not liking the looks they were giving to Naruto sent some of his killing intent at them. Their glares ceased from existence and were replaced with terrified expressions.

"Well, we're here, what did you need from us?" Grimes asked bitterly.

"You will address us with respect!" shrieked a pink haired woman.

"You look familiar, aren't you the one that Hiruzen locked up for attacking Naruto six years ago?" Grimes inquired.

"Yes, but I was released," she replied with a smirk.

"Wow, that was a big mistake," Naruto said glaring at the woman.

"Shut-up, demon!"

"Do not call my little brother a demon you fucking banshee!" Grimes sneered, his hand getting ready to pull out his sword.

"Enough!" Hiruzen voiced. "Haruno-san, do not call Naruto that, or I will send you back to prison, understood?"

She muttered a blunt apology before looking back at Naruto and Grimes. Hiruzen lit his pipe and looked at the elders sitting beside him.

"Uzumaki Naruto, you are charged with assault on one, Uchiha Sasuke, your punishment is to hand over all your belongings to him and you are relieved of your Shinobi duties," spoke Danzou.

"Quit while you're ahead, Danzou," Grimes warned. "The Hokage and I saw the whole fight against Naruto and Sasuke, it was a spar in which the Uchiha brat used a lethal attack."

"He is an Uchiha! He can do whatever he pleases!" shrieked the Haruno.

"Scream one more time and I'll make sure your voice is going to be lodged in your throat." Grimes said walking towards her.

"Stand down, Grimes!" barked Homura.

"I'm trying to do everyone a favor by shutting her up," Grimes retorted.

The Shinobi Council let out sniggers and chuckles from Grimes' statement. The Haruno opened her mouth to shriek but Grimes' hand shot out towards her. Her voice immediately became muted and she began to clutch at her throat. Many of them let out sighs of relief.

"Back to the matter at hand, Grimes is correct, Naruto only acted in self-defense." Hiruzen announced.

"Hokage-sama! He must hand over everything he owns to the, Uchiha!" a civilian shouted.

"What do I have to give him?" Naruto asked glaring at the man. "I don't own anything thanks to you stupid shits."

"Hold your tongue!" barked another civilian.

"You idiots have no power over me, only the Shinobi Council can order me around."

"We are your superior, demon!" yelled a civilian.

"The next one of you who calls Naruto a demon will have to walk with my blade between their eyes!" Grimes yelled.

"That would be treason and you would be executed!" shouted Danzou.

"I'd love to see you try to execute me you old fart," Grimes said with a smirk.

"Enough!" roared the Hokage.

"Fine, if we can't give your belongings to the Uchiha, then he will be under the protection of Grimes!" a civilian stated.

Grimes laughed loudly and glared at the man. He held his arm up and a purple arm shot out of it. It snaked around the man's neck and yanked him over to Grimes.

"I will not protect some spoiled brat who is having his ass kissed by a bunch of fools." Grimes hissed.

"Us members of the civilian council command you to teach the Uchiha everything you know!" the Haruno yelled.

"Wrong again, I do not belong to this village. I am here as an emissary for the Ebon Blade. I will not teach a boy who is mentally unstable anything in the arts of necromancy."

"Excuse me for the interruption, but is the Ebon Blade hidden in a village?" asked Hiashi.

"No, we are isolated from society for our own reasons." Grimes replied.

"How exactly are you isolated?" Shikaku asked. "Surely you'd have a compound hidden somewhere?"

"We do, but since there is so little Death Knights left, we have a keep hidden in the skies."

"What exactly happened to the Death Knights?" asked Hiruzen.

Grimes looked away for a moment and sighed. He threw the civilian back into his seat before turning back to the Hokage.

"Not to be a bit of an asshole here, Hokage-sama, but the only reason the Ebon Blade joined your alliance is because a lot of Death Knights were killed in the war against our former master, the Lich King."

"The Lich King?" asked Inoichi.

"The Lich King was our former master, he was once known as Prince Arthas of Lordearon, but he sunk into darkness. He killed his mentor, Uther the Lightbringer, and his own father. He had the ability to twist the souls and minds of human beings. He formed a massive army of undead creatures known as the Scourge."

"We broke free of his grip after a battle against the Argent Dawn in the Eastern Plaguelands. Highlord Tirion Fordring came and stopped us in our tracks. When that happened he told us that we were merely pawns to the bastard. He told our current leader, Highlord Darion Mograine, that he had become everything his father, Alexandros Mograine, also known as the Scarlet Highlord or the Ashbringer, fought against."

"What happened then?" asked Hiruzen.

"Well, at the time, Darion was wielding the legendary blade, the Ashbringer, which belonged to his father. But it was corrupted by his brother, Renault Mograine, who killed their father in hopes of becoming the next commander of the Scarlet Crusade. When their father was killed by his own blade, his soul was trapped inside, turning him into a Death Knight. And when Darion sought Tirion out years previously, he was told that his father could only be freed if an act of pure love occurred. And Darion, being in a fight against the Scourge when he joined the Argent Dawn, plunged the Ashbringer into himself freeing his father's soul but dooming his own to hell."

Both sides of the council exchanged looks with each other as Grimes informed them of the background of the Ebon Blade.

"It was then that Arthas came and confirmed that he used his soldiers, which were the Death Knights, to lure Tirion out of hiding. Darion attempted to kill him, but Arthas tossed him aside like he was nothing. He tried to kill Tirion by paralyzing him in a curse but he broke free when Darion tossed the Ashbringer to him. The Ashbringer became purified and Tirion managed to harm Arthas, forcing the coward to retreat to his domain in Icecrown." Grimes finished.

By this time, everyone in the room was interested in the story. Danzou licked his lips at the thought of the Ashbringer and the armies of undead. The Shinobi and the Hokage were thunderstruck at the background Grimes came from.

"And that brought us up to the point where we joined you, Hokage-sama." Grimes continued. "We're still at war with the Lich King. We've retreated for now since we lost so many good men and women against this monster. We started training new recruits to be Death Knights, and we came to join the alliance to ask for your help when the time comes."

"Absolutely not! We will not come and aid you fools against this thing!" shouted Homura.

"Homura, they're our allies, we will give them aid whether you like it or not." Hiruzen stated.

"But, Hiruzen! Surely you can't be serious!"

"I'm serious, that's what alliances do, they help each other in their time of need."

"Thank you, Hokage-sama." Grimes said bowing. "The Ebon Blade will be here to help when needed."

"Likewise, but for now, we should continue this meeting another day. This meeting is adjourned." Hiruzen replied.

* * *

Grimes and Naruto left the Hokage tower, both a little tired from the long assembly. They decided to get some dinner before heading home. The two of them entered a random restaurant and sat down. When they took a seat, the eatery's doors blasted open and two women stepped inside. One had a tan trenchcoat, a black miniskirt, black sandals and a fishnet shirt minus the bra. The other was the one Grimes had bumped into hours previously.

"Dango time!" shouted the purple haired kunoichi.

"Anko, do you really need to be that energetic?" asked her companion.

"If it's dango, then yes!"

"Anko, if you stop being energetic, I'll pay tonight."

"You're no fun, Kurenai."

The two women looked around and tried to find a place to sit, only to find a whole bunch of male shinobi grinning at them and giving them whistles. Now, both of them being proud women, hated perverts with a passion, and right now almost every man in the diner was a pervert. Two of the men, however, just looked at them and went back to their conversation.

"Why don't we go sit over there?" Anko asked, pointing to the two men. "They don't look like perverts,"

Kurenai looked to where Anko was pointing and noticed it was the blond haired boy that almost bumped her and the older man that accidently knocked her over. She gave a moment of thought then shrugged.

"Okay, why not?" Kurenai replied.

Naruto and Grimes shared a laugh before Naruto continued talking.

"Remember that time Mac and Gaz put the dead ghoul under Darion's bed?" Naruto asked laughing hard.

"That was priceless, Darion chased them around the keep the entire day," Grimes added laughing just as hard.

"Excuse me." a woman spoke.

Grimes and Naruto stopped laughing and turned to the voice. They saw the two women that entered the restaurant standing by their table. Grimes looked at Naruto who shrugged.

"Yes, can we help you with something?" Grimes inquired.

"Do you mind if we join you two?" the red eyed woman asked.

"Not at all."

Grimes scooted down in the booth and the two women climbed into the booth. Once that was out of the way, they sat in silence for a moment.

"I'm Grimes, and this is my adoptive little brother, Naruto," Grimes introduced holding his hand out.

"Nice to meet you. I'm the sexy single lady, Mitarashi Anko," the purple haired woman greeted with a grin. Grimes smirked back and shook her hand.

"I'm the Genjutsu Mistress of Konoha, Yuuhi Kurenai," the red eyed woman said with a smile. Naruto and Grimes both shook her hand.

"So are you new in town, cutie?" Anko asked looking at Grimes. Grimes, a little shocked she classified him as a 'cutie' gave a small nod.

"Yeah, I've only been here once, and that was six years ago saving my little brother here." Grimes answered.

Kurenai felt a genjutsu present and looked at Grimes. She narrowed her eyes in suspicion and began making handsigns under the table. Nothing seemed unusual, but his eyes which were green, had a chakra presence accompanying it.

"Is that you're natural eye color, Grimes?" Kurenai asked, finishing her last handseal.

"Yeah, why do you ask?" Grimes responded a little nervously.

"Because I sense chakra around them,"

Grimes' eyes widened in shock and he gulped.

"Naruto, let's go." Grimes muttered.

"Why?" Naruto asked

"I don't want to make a scene, now come on," he continued desperate to leave.

"Kai!" Kurenai hissed.

"Shit!" Grimes swore loudly.

He covered his eyes with his hand. Grimes used his free arm to clutch Naruto's shoulder.

"Naruto, get me out of here, I don't want people to see my eyes." Grimes pleaded.

Anko, now curious, decided to see what had the new cute guy scared. She quickly summoned a snake and had it curl around Grimes' free arm. Anko pulled back on the snake, causing Grimes' arm to fall away revealing his eyes. Both of the females gasped at the sight, while Grimes hung his head dejectedly.

"You're a vindictive, persistent piece of work, aren't ya'?" Grimes asked bitterly.

He lifted his head to reveal two neon blue eyes, no pupil or iris to be seen. A lot of the shinobi in the bar looked at Grimes with wide eyes. Many pointed at him and gave some glares. Much to Grimes' dismay, it reminded him of the first time he set foot back in civilization after being turned into a Death Knight.

"Look at the freak!" yelled a random shinobi pointing at Grimes.

Grimes visibly flinched at the insult and slumped down a little in his seat. He'd rather be fighting a horde of abominations than be insulted for something out of his control. Grimes kept muttering angry curses while clenching his fists. A couple shinobi walked over to the booth and grabbed Grimes by the shoulder.

"Let's have some fun with this freak!" shouted another shinobi.

The group of shinobi pulled Grimes out of the booth and outside the diner. Naruto looked at his brother in horror before turning to glare at Kurenai. He stalked out of the restaurant to help his brother. Kurenai sat there shocked at what happened. She felt the guilt hit her in the stomach in full force. She had unwittingly caused this man, who did nothing wrong, a lot of pain.

"I don't think that was a good idea, Kurenai," Anko voiced feeling sorry for Grimes.

"I wasn't, I didn't." Kurenai stammered.

"We should go give him a hand."

"Hai."

* * *

The two of them exited the diner and stopped to see the small skirmish about to take place. Ten shinobi surrounded Grimes who stood in the middle of the road. Many of them holding shuriken and kunai at the ready.

"Look, I don't want any trouble, let's just forget about this," Grimes said trying to negotiate.

"You got trouble for being a freak, you freak!" shouted another Jounin.

"I'm not going to ask nicely again, stop the fight now or you will die," Grimes warned.

"Please! There's ten of us against you!"

"Don't take me lightly."

A Jounin, wanting to start the show, threw the kunai at breakneck speed towards Grimes. There was a clang as it hit him in the chest before falling to the ground. The Jounin looked in shock which turned to anger. Grimes began to chuckle which turned into an insane laugh. He held out his hands which glowed dark purple. There were two loud cracks as two blades appeared in his hands. Both of them had a skull hilt, a silver blade with a sliver of blue in the center, neon runes on each, a blue diamond pommel and spikes on each side of the blade.

"Grimes, wait!" Naruto called, running towards him.

"Naruto, just stay back, if they want me they can come and get me," Grimes said with a sadistic grin.

His blade began to glow white, while the other glowed a reddish orange.

"Get him, boys!" shouted the leader of the group.

One Jounin charged at Grimes, trench knives at the ready. Grimes parried the attack and slashed at the man. The jounin cried in agony as the blade latched onto his back and ripped his back open. He fell to the ground unconscious.

"Any of you idiots want to stop or do you want to suffer like your friend here?" Grimes offered.

"We're just getting started!" countered another Jounin.

Two more ran at Grimes from opposite sides. Grimes waited, then he parried the attacker on his right before swerving around him and using him as a meat shield. The sound of tearing cloth and flesh sounded and the Jounin fell to the ground whimpering.

"You bastard!" shouted the Jounin, charging at Grimes.

Grimes smirked and held out his palm, a wave of ice shot out of his palm, encasing the Jounin inside the block of ice. Grimes walked over and stabbed through the ice, piercing the Jounin through the stomach, exiting his back. The ice shattered and the Jounin fell to the ground, bleeding profusely.

"Still wanna try me?" Grimes taunted.

"You son of a bi-," began the Jounin, but stopped when a green skull of fire nailed him in the stomach.

It launched him off his feet and he crashed through a window.

Meanwhile, Naruto walked over to Anko and Kurenai. He turned back to the fight and shook his head. Grimes wasn't even going at full power, over the years Naruto trained with him, Grimes learned a lot of jutsu, if anything, he was around high Jounin level or even ANBU. Anko and Kurenai looked with wide eyes at the fight. This new guy was kicking each of the Jounin around like a rag doll.

"Why did you do that, Kurenai-san?" Naruto hissed.

"I didn't know, I thought he was hiding something and may have been a threat." Kurenai defended.

"Had you asked him properly, he probably won't be in this situation."

Kurenai hung her head, Naruto was right. Instead of jumping to direct conclusions, she should have asked him first. Anko, however, was drooling at the sight of the new 'Hot' guy demolishing all the Jounin.

"That is so cool!" Anko grinned, licking her lips.

There was a crack as the Sandaime and two ANBU appeared out of the blue.

"What the bloody hell is going on here!" roared Hiruzen.

"Hokage-sama! This bastard here attacked us when we were minding our own business," a Jounin replied.

"No he didn't, gramps, these guys pulled him out of the bar after seeing his eyes and attacked him," Naruto began. "Grimes tried to negotiate with them but they attacked him anyway!"

"Is this true, Grimes?" Hiruzen asked.

Grimes' swords vanished and he gave a nod. He walked over to the Hokage before looking up at him.

"Yeah, it's true." Grimes replied.

"I second his answer, Hokage-sama," Kurenai interjected. "It was my fault this happened."

"Very well, Kurenai, I'll talk with you about this later. Right now we have a problem." Hiruzen replied.

"What happened, Hokage-sama?" asked Anko.

"It's Mizuki." Hiruzen muttered. "He's stolen the forbidden scroll and ran off into the woods, we need to find him and bring him back for interrogation. If he uses force, kill him."

"Do we have a position on him?" Grimes asked.

"Yes, he was spotted heading towards the forest."

"Okay, leave this to me and Naruto, we can take this guy."

"He's miles away, how are you going to catch up to him?"

"With these."

Grimes and Naruto raised their hands in the air and purple aura began to form in their hands. There was another loud crack as the aura disappeared and there sat two black horses. They were armored with black armor, skulls on the saddles, curved horns, ice blue legs, and neon blue eyes.

"What the hell?" voiced a Jounin.

"What are those?" asked Hiruzen.

"Acherus Death Chargers, very fast horses." Grimes responded.

"Good luck, we'll be out there for you guys by morning."

Grimes and Naruto nodded and they galloped out of sight.

* * *

The two of them felt the wind brushing their faces as they raced through the wood. They came to a stop about half an hour later and their horses vanished in a poof of smoke.

"You hear that?" Grimes asked, pulling out his blade.

"Yeah, it sounds like cackling." Naruto replied.

Sure enough, the two of them heard crazy cackles a few feet away. They peered around the trees and saw the silver haired chunin sitting by a tree reading the scroll. Naruto summoned his sword, getting ready for the fight.

"This is perfect! Now I can finally have the power I need!" Mizuki hooted.

"Okay, the target is directly in front of the tree." Grimes whispered. "We need to take him alive Naruto, so let's try to avoid killing him."

Naruto nodded and looked at Mizuki again.

"Wait for me to get into position."

Grimes hurried around the tree and hid in the bushes at Mizuki's left.

"Wait for my mark, Naruto," Grimes muttered.

Naruto gripped his blade tightly and waited for Grimes to give the order.

"Standby…Standby…Smoke him."

"Katon! Karyuudan!" Grimes hollered.

Mizuki turned to the sound of the voice, only to see balls of fire soar towards him. He dodged just in time, only to get slammed by someone from the right. He looked out the corner of his eye to see the Kyuubi brat in front of him. Mizuki growled crossly, and reached for the giant shuriken on his back.

"Well, well, if it isn't Naruto!" Mizuki sneered glaring at Naruto.

"Mizuki, come clean, you're outnumbered," Naruto said crossing his arms.

"Oh yeah? Who can help you take down an elite like me?" Mizuki mocked.

He suddenly felt someone tap his shoulder. He turned around to face a man with shoulder length brown hair and a beard with neon blue eyes smirking at him. Mizuki's eyes grew wide with surprise at the appearance of the man.

"That would be me," Grimes hissed, punching Mizuki in the stomach.

Mizuki was blasted off his feet and sent crashing into a nearby tree. He spat up blood and glared at the two men in front of him. He glanced at, Naruto, and smirked with a sudden thought.

"Well, you caught me, but before you take me back," Mizuki began. "Naruto…have you ever wondered why the villagers hate you?"

Naruto inwardly smirked at what Mizuki was going to do, so he decided to lure him into a false sense of security. Grimes had seen where this was going too and decided to play it out.

"No! Don't tell him!" Grimes pleaded, pulling out his sword and running to Mizuki.

"Wh-What are you saying?" Naruto asked, stepping back a step.

"They hate you because you're the Kyuubi! The Nine Tailed Fox!" Mizuki bellowed.

There was silence and Mizuki smirked triumphantly. Naruto looked down to hide the shit eating grin on his face and began to shake. Grimes looked at Naruto with a smirk then back to Mizuki with a look of rage. Mizuki was about to attack Grimes, but stopped when he heard clapping. He looked up and saw Naruto clapping, beginning to laugh as he walked forward.

"Very good, Mizuki!" Naruto said sarcastically.

"Wait, you knew!" Mizuki asked somewhat perplexed.

"Are you daft? Of course I knew it. You can thank my brother here,"

"Well, it doesn't matter! I'm not going back to Konoha! I'll kill you for getting in my way!"

"Very well, but tell me something, Mizuki," Grimes said looking down at the ground.

"What?"

"Have you ever fought a necromancer?"

"No, but it doesn't matter! Now die!"

Mizuki threw his shuriken at, Naruto, who parried it with his blade. Mizuki growled in anger at his attack being blocked so easily. He charged at Naruto, completely forgetting Grimes was standing there. Naruto leaped back and went through various handsigns.

"Suiton! Suiryuudan-no-jutsu!" Naruto yelled.

A water dragon shot out of a nearby puddle and hit Mizuki dead in the stomach. Mizuki cried in pain and was slammed into the tree headfirst. He hit the ground in a heap, out cold. Grimes quickly shot his palm out and froze Mizuki from the neck down in ice. Naruto walked over and picked up the scroll that lay by Mizuki's side. Grimes walked over to Naruto and clapped him on the shoulder.

"Nice job, Naruto," Grimes said with a grin.

Naruto grinned back and slung the scroll over his shoulder. There was a thump and the Hokage appeared with two ANBU by his side. He looked at Mizuki, who was completely frozen in ice, then to Naruto and Grimes. He gave a grin and walked over to them.

"Excellent job you two." Hiruzen praised.

"Thanks, gramps," Naruto said with a nod.

"Alright, ANBU, take care of the traitor. Naruto, I'll take the scroll now."

"Hai, Hokage-sama!" the ANBU voiced. They walked over to Mizuki, picked him up and shunshined away.

Naruto tossed the scroll to the Hokage before yawning. The Hokage chuckled at his grandson figure.

"Why don't you two go get some shut-eye? It's almost morning." Hiruzen offered.

"I won't argue with you there, I'm exhausted." Grimes yawned.

The Hokage shunshined away, leaving Naruto and Grimes alone. They looked at each other and nodded. The two of them walked down the path toward the village. It had been a long first day back home.

* * *

**Well, that was the chapter, hope you enjoyed, although I'm sure some people might have some quirks about it. Please review and stay tuned for updates! -CaptainPrice**

**Weapons:**

**Grimes: Greatsword of the Ebon Blade/ Duel Wields, Slayer of the Lifeless x2 (A/N: I don't have those for him in the game yet, but soon!)**

**Naruto: Runed Soulblade (DK starting weapon)/ Duel wields: Unknown**


	4. Reunions and Teams

**Yo, I'm back! Here's the next installment of Shinobi of the Ebon Blade. I introduce two new OC's in the chapter, hence the chapter title. Now just a quick announcement, I'm out of school on June 10th so I'll be on summer vacation soon. I'm going to do a new thing, on June 20th I'm going to have a new chapter for all my stories, so get ready for a CaptainPrice story marathon back, to back, to back, to back. Now without further delay, here's the new chapter! Read and review when done please. **

**Disclaimer- I do NOT own Naruto, or World of Warcraft (WoW), I do however own the OC's Grimes, Gaz and Mac, and the idea of the story and the story itself!**

**Bold-Kyuubi/ Inner Sakura/ Death Knight spells/**

**_Bold Italics- Kyuubi saying something to Naruto in his mind " "/ Kyuubi thinking ' ' _**

_Italics- Thoughts/Letters/Flashbacks_

--Scene change

* * *

Naruto stepped into the living room, stretching from a good nights rest. He walked over to the kitchen and opened the fridge. He pulled out some milk and some cereal, setting it on the table before sitting down. A small creak met his ears as a door opened, revealing Grimes yawning. He sat down across from Naruto, holding a cup of coffee. Naruto looked at his older brother to see his slouching state.

"Bad night?" Naruto asked, already knowing the answer.

"When do I never have a bad night?" Grimes replied, sipping his coffee.

"Sorry, standard question,"

There was a tap coming from the window. Naruto looked up and noticed a messenger bird with a letter attached to its leg. He moved apace to the window, opening it to retrieve the letter. Naruto yanked the letter off the bird, sending it away. He opened the letter and read it before walking back to the table.

"What's it say?" Grimes asked.

"The old man wants to talk to us later today," Naruto informed.

"How soon?"

"Probably when we finish breakfast here,"

The two of them finished their meal, cleaning themselves up quickly before leaving their house.

* * *

A few minutes later, the pair of them stood in the Hokage's office. The Sandaime turned around and gave a grin. He motioned for them to take a seat, which they did.

"Did you both have a good sleep?" the Hokage asked, puffing out smoke.

"More or less," Grimes muttered.

"I suppose you're wondering why I summoned you here?"

"Yeah, we were wondering if it was something about Mizuki," Naruto replied.

"No, nothing is of concern regarding to Mizuki," the Hokage noted. "Early this morning I received a note from Highlord Mograine,"

"About what?" Grimes asked, sitting up abruptly.

"Well, you are both aware that the team selections are today at the academy, right?" They both nodded, clarifying that they did.

"Well, Darion wrote to notify me that he was sending to death knights to join the shinobi teams,"

"What are their names?" Naruto inquired.

"He says they were good friends of yours, Mac and Gaz,"

"So the two rabble-rousers are coming to join the teams, eh?" Grimes said with a smirk.

"Suffice to say, yes they are," the Hokage replied.

"When are they supposed to be here?"

"Momentarily,"

Sure enough a purple portal materialized in front of them. Two figures stepped out of the portal before it vanished in a whisp of smoke. Both of them looked around 13 years old. One was about Naruto's height, he had auburn hair, brown eyes, pale. He was wearing a blue linen t-shirt, black cargo pants, brown fingerless gloves, a brown belt wrapping around his hips and slinging up over his shoulder and a green sleeveless vest. To top it off, he carried the same sword Grimes did, except it was red.

The second boy was about half a foot taller than Naruto and the other. He had green eyes, pale, and brown hair. He wore black cargo pants, red linen t-shirt, black sleeveless vest, grey plated fingerless gloves, combat boots, and a green skull cap **(A/N: Think Genma's bandanna)**.

"It's been a while, Naruto," spoke the boy with the hat.

"It's only been a week, Gaz," Naruto replied.

"Oh yeah,"

"Baka, do you constantly have you're head up your ass?" asked the other.

"Mac, shut-up," Gaz hissed.

"You three better head down to the academy, teams are going to be announced within the hour," the Hokage voiced.

"Okay, see you later," Naruto spoke, shunshining away with Mac and Gaz.

"Grimes, I think it's time for you to meet your fellow jounin senseis," the Hokage said, puffing out some smoke.

"Okay, where are they?" Grimes answered.

"They'll be here in a few minutes, so sit and wait."

* * *

At the academy, the rookies sat waiting for Iruka and Mizuki to enter the class. Naruto, Mac and Gaz appeared outside the door. He glanced at them before getting a confirming nod. Naruto opened the door and entered the room, his companions trailing behind him. As they entered the class, some of the rookies stared at them briefly before turning away. The three of them walked to a desk behind the Uchiha and sat down. They sat in silence until Naruto broke it.

"So what news is there about the recon back in Icecrown?" he asked.

"Not much, all we know is that Tirion and Darion's forces are still stuck at Crusaders Point," Mac whispered back.

"Not much progress has been made because they aren't sure how much land is behind each gate beyond the rally point," Gaz added. "Not to mention there is probably a substantial amount of scourge at each gate,"

The door to the class opened up again and two kunoichi burst inside. Both of them yelling, "First!" The two girls began to argue before turning to the seats to find someone. Eventually they ran right to the Uchiha and sat on either side of him. The three of them chuckled at the Uchiha's posture when the girls sat by him. Neither of them could imagine that brooding could go further than the Uchiha just showed.

"Hey Naruto, who are the three in front of us?" Gaz asked.

"They're both fangirls, the blond one is Ino, the pink haired eyesore is Sakura, and the raven haired guy is the emo, Sasuke," Naruto replied.

The door opened a third time, and Iruka entered the classroom holding some paper. He glanced at the class, noticing that there were two new faces. Iruka then remembered what the Hokage said about two more rookies entering. He shrugged before clearing his throat.

"Good morning all," Iruka greeted. The class gave grunts in reply, causing Iruka to sweat drop at the scene.

_"Good lord, these kids need some social skills,"_ Iruka thought.

"Now, as all of you know, you are now shinobi and are going to be serving the village until you either retire or if you're unlucky, die." Iruka said, causing some kids to gulp.

"But in order to become better shinobi, you must become familiar with teamwork and training, that is why there will be teams of shinobi under a jounin sensei to help you with your future," Iruka continued. "Now, I'll begin announcing the teams. Team one consists of…"

Naruto, Gaz and Mac tuned Iruka out and began to doze off. It remained like that until they heard another team being announced.

"Team seven is, Uzumaki Naruto," Naruto raised his head. "Haruno Sakura," Sakura groaned, Naruto was itching for someone to just kill him now. "Uchiha Sasuke," Sakura cheered and Naruto began to twitch in anger muttering, "Fuck me," over and over. "Gaz Zanovich, and Mac Compton,"

"Iruka-sensei, why is billboard brow paired with Sasuke-kun!? And why is team seven filled with two extra people!?" Ino yelled. Others began to voice their opinions but were silenced with Iruka doing the big-headed jutsu.

"That's just the way the Hokage listed it, now shut the fuck up!" Iruka bellowed. The kids instantly quieted and shrunk back into their seats.

"That was awesome," Gaz muttered with a smirk.

"Wow, I actually like this mentor," Mac added.

"Team eight is, Inuzuka Kiba, Hyuuga Hinata, and Aburame Shino," Iruka continued.

"Team nine is in circulation from last year. Team ten is Akamichi Choji, Yamanaka Ino, and Nara Shikamaru," Ino began to mutter curses under her breath while thumping her head against the desk repeatedly.

"As for senseis, team seven's senseis are, Hatake Kakashi and Grimes Wollcroft. Team eight's sensei is Yuuhi Kurenai, and team ten's sensei is Sarutobi Asuma," Iruka finished. "You are to wait here for your senseis to come and retrieve you, good luck," Iruka left the room causing students to converse again.

A couple minutes past before the door opened, revealing a man with a black beard smoking a cigarette.

"Team ten, let's move out," he spoke. Ino, Shikamaru and Choji got up and followed the man. Next came a woman with red eyes, "Team eight, follow me please," she said before leaving.

* * *

Slowly but surely, all the other teams left leaving team seven remaining. Naruto, Gaz and Mac were chuckling while looking at some sketches Gaz had drawn earlier.

One sketch was a fish with its rear fins stuck inside styrofoam floating upward. The caption under it read, "Embedded in styrofoam 'shoes,' Carl is sent to, 'sleep with the humans." Another one had three men in it, two of them wearing hats, the taller one holding a bat, were looking at a man with glasses reading, "Still no money, eh? Well, let's see if Rudy and his wiffle bat can help encourage you," and under that panel it read, 'Innefective tools of persuasion,'. The last one reduced them to tears from laughing so hard. It had a jungle village with the tribe sitting outside looking at an explorer with a humungous head, the caption read, "Unwittingly, Palmer had stepped out of the jungle and into head hunter folklore forever," **(A/N: Now these cartoons are from the cartoonist Gary Larson, creator of the Far Side, whole bunch of funny cartoons. These are not mine, I just wanted to put them in because they're funny, so I do not own these!)**

The door opened and two men stepped inside, one was Grimes, the other had gravity defying grey hair, his hitai-ate slanted over his left eye, wearing a standard jounin uniform. The five turned to the two men just noticing them. They were glaring at them because of waiting for two hours.

"Sorry we're late, I was trying to find this guy," Grimes said indicating to his comrade.

"My first impression is, I hate you five, meet us on the roof," the cyclops spoke, shunshining away with Grimes.

"Come on you losers-," Sasuke began, only to see the three vanish via a shunshin. He clenched his fists, seething at the sight of seeing his teammates do something he couldn't.

_"How can those three losers do that!? I'm an Uchiha!"_ he thought with malice.

* * *

Sasuke and Sakura worked their way to the roof. Sasuke was becoming irate from Sakura's constant attempts to ask him out. Once they reached the roof, he silently thanked kami he wasn't alone with Sakura. Sasuke sat down between Mac and gaz, folding his hands under his chin. Sakura sat by Gaz, stealing glances at Sasuke every now and then.

"Well now that we're all here, why don't we introduce ourselves?" the cyclops said.

"Um, why don't you go first sensei and show us what you mean?" Sakura replied, unsure of how to do it.

"Okay, my name is Hatake Kakashi, I don't have any likes and dislikes, my hobbies are none of your concern, and my dreams I don't feel like telling you," Kakashi finished.

_"All we learned was his name,"_ thought the five students.

"My name is Grimes Wollcroft, my likes are training and my little brother, my dislikes are the nightmares I have every night, my hobbies are training my little brother, and my dream is to hopefully retire with a wife and two kids," Grimes said looking at the five.

"You next, pinky," Kakashi said, pointing to Sakura. Sakura growled at being called, 'pinky' but shrugged it off.

"My name is, Haruno Sakura. My likes are," she looks at Sasuke and giggles, "my dislikes are people who are creepy, annoying, and Ino-pig!" she said looking at Gaz, Mac and Naruto, "My hobbies are," she giggles, looking at Sasuke again, "And my dream is," she looked at Sasuke for what seemed to be the hundreth time that day and squealed loudly.

_"A fangirl, kami must hate me,"_ Kakashi thought.

"Alright you're next, blondie," Kakashi said looking at Naruto.

"My name is, Uzumaki Naruto. My likes are ramen, my friends, training, music and a certain girl. My dislikes are arrogant pricks, fangirls, perverts and people who hurt my precious people. My hobbies are training, my older brother, my friends here, and playing my guitar. My dream is to surpass the Fourth Hokage in skill and become Hokage," Naruto stated.

_"Seems like he's the only normal one so far,"_ Kakashi thought.

"Alright, you dark and broody," Kakashi said, looking at Sasuke.

"My name is, Uchiha Sasuke. I have no likes and dislikes, I have no hobbies, and my dream. No, ambition, is to kill a certain man and revive my clan,"Sasuke replied. Sakura looked at him as though he just said the coolest thing in the universe.

_"An avenger, I'll have to knock that out of him,"_ Kakashi thought.

"Okay, you're turn," Grimes said, looking at Gaz.

"My name is, Gaz Zanovich. My likes are training, my friends, and music. My dislikes are fangirls and arrogant people. My hobbies are training, drawing, and playing the bass guitar. My dream is to be a great soldier like my dad," Gaz finished.

"Okay Mac, your turn," Gaz said turning to Mac.

"My name is, Mac Compton. My likes are training, music, and my friends. My dislikes are arrogant people and fangirls. My hobbies are training, sparring, and playing drums. My dream is to have a wife and raise a family," Mac said grinning widely.

"Well, me and Kakashi here will do our best to help you achieve your goals," Grimes said standing up.

"Okay, meet at training ground seven tomorrow morning at five for your test," Kakashi voiced.

"But sensei, we did the graduation test already," Sakura said, looking a little confused.

"True, but that wasn't the real test, this test is to see if you are capable of being shinobi." Kakashi said, with his trademark eyesmile. "It has a 66% failure rate, if you fail you go back to the academy. Now get some sleep, and don't eat breakfast tomorrow if you plan on throwing up." Kakashi turned and shunshined away.

"Well, why don't we go home?" Grimes asked looking at the three death knights.

"Yeah, that's not a bad idea, I'm hungry and tired," Gaz commented.

"Allright we'll walk home, it's a nice day today so let's enjoy it," Mac added.

The four death knights hopped off the roof and began walking down the road. Sasuke and Sakura were alone. Sasuke mentally began counting down the seconds till Sakura would ask the question.

"Sasuke-kun, do you wanna go on a date with me?" Sakura asked with a smile.

"No, you're annoying," Sasuke replied. He hopped off the roof and began to make his way back home. Sakura hung her head dejectedly, but smiled and shook it off.

"I'm sure he's just tired, that's all," Sakura told herself. **"Shannaro! He'll definitely will take our offer tomorrow, and then he'll be all ours!"** Inner Sakura cheered. Sakura got up and began to make her way home.

* * *

**Okay, that's the chapter! Remember to read and review when done, and don't forget the CaptainPrice story Marathon on June 20th! See you, I gotta get to work!- CaptainPrice.**

**OC's**

**Name: Gaz Zanovich, also referred to as "Zano"**

**Age: 13**

**Shinobi Level: High chuunin**

**Death Knight Rank: PFC (Private First Class)**

**DOB: 1/17**

**Death Knight Spec: Frost/Unholy**

**History: Unknown**

**Weapons: Greatsword of the Ebon Blade (Looks like Grimes' just black), Duel Wields: Unknown**

**Name: Mac Compton**

**Age: 13**

**Shinobi Level: High Chuunin**

**Death Knight Rank: Pvt**

**DOB: 8/14**

**Death Knight Spec: Frost/Blood**

**History: Unknown**

**Weapons: Greatsword of the Ebon Blade (Same as Grimes' just red), Duel Wields: Unknown**


	5. Dead Memories

**Okay, here's the new chapter for Shinobi of the Ebon Blade! Read and Review when done please. Now without delay, let's get to the chapter and enjoy! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or WoW. I own the OC's, the idea of the story and the story itself.**

**Bold-Inner Sakura/Kyuubi/Death Knight attacks/Jutsu**

_Italics- Thoughts/Letters/Flashbacks_

**A/N: Part of the chapter with Grimes relfects with a World of Warcraft quest for the DK's chain quest series, I'll post a link on my profile page that shows the quest and dialouge.**

* * *

The four death knights went to sleep shortly after eating dinner. Unknown to them, three of them would be reliving nightmares of their worst memories. Each of them went to their rooms, climbing into bed for their night of hell. Slowly, all of them succumbed to their dreams. Grimes was once again shifting frequently in his bed. For the sixth year running, he was having the same dream that plagued him. As much as he prayed to have a good dream, like the memories of the Argent Dawn; they would never come. It was always that day when he killed all those people.

_/Flashback/_

_The air was filled with smoke, fire and screams of civilians. The sky was dark orange from all the fire. Grimes walked up the path from the village, having completed another task for his master. He now had to go meet one of the officers for his next mission. Grimes came to a long house with a few death knights standing outside it._

_He walked up to the one standing in the center. The death knight cast him a glance._

_"So, you're the new guy, eh?" he asked._

_"Obviously, now give me my mission," Grimes said, glaring at the man._

_"Well I would, but I want to see if you're ready for it,"_

_The death knight was surprised when he saw the recruit get into a fighting stance. He gave a smirk and raised his hand._

_"Not by a fight, but I like your determination,"_

_"Well what do you want me to do?"_

_"This next mission isn't really a mission, more like a task,"_

_"I'm ready,"_

_"Very well, go in the house and kill the prisoner at the far end,"_

_Grimes entered the house and looked around. It was filled with prisoners from the Argent Dawn. He smelt the odor from filthy prisoners who hadn't bathed in who knows how long. Many bodies and corpses littered the cabin, blood pooling around them. Apparently some of the recruits had passed through here._

_Grimes noticed the prisoner who was at the other side of the cabin. She was facing away from him, looking at the wall. Grimes walked to her, his feet making small splashes in the pools of blood. Many of the remaining prisoners scuttled back to a wall, shaking in fear. He finally reached his target and stopped behind her._

_"Come to finish the job, have you?" she asked._

_"Yes, now turn around and face me!" Grimes ordered._

_The prisoner stood up and faced him. Grimes' eyes widened in shock; in front of him was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. She had long dark blond hair, green eyes, long slender legs, incredible curves, and a soft face._

_"I'd like to stand for…" she continued, looking at the death knight in front of her. She gave a gasp as she looked at the man in front of her. It couldn't be him, could it?_

_"Grimes?" she asked, looking under his hood._

_"I know of nobody that you speak," Grimes replied bitterly._

_"Grimes, I'd recognize that face anywhere…What…What have they done to you, Grimes?"_

_"Don't know, but I like it!"_

_"You don't remember me, do you? Blasted Scourge…They've tried to drain you of everything that made you a righteous force of reckoning. Every last ounce of good…Everything that made you human!"_

_"What the hell are you speaking about?"_

_"This can't be you, Grimes. Don't you recognize me?"_

_"I'll admit you look familiar, but I don't remember you,"_

_"It's me, Ellen Stanbridge,"_

_Something inside Grimes' head pulsed when Ellen revealed who she was. He suddenly remembered many things that happened between them years ago. He clutched his head in pain as he felt the memories hit him like a punch to the face. Grimes remembered playing with her in the forest when they were kids. He remembered joining the Argent Dawn with her, shortly after his dad died. He remembered fighting alongside her against the Scourge. He remembered comforting her when he father died in a battle against the Scourge. He remembered making love to her that day as well. Then he remembered saving her, but dying in the process._

_"Ellen…" Grimes said, looking at her. He touched her face with his hand. She gave a small gasp from the contact._

_"You're cold," Ellen replied._

_"What's taking so long in there, Grimes?" called the officer._

_"Think, Grimes. Think back. Try and remember the hills and valleys of Elwynn, where you were born. Remember the splendor of life, brother! You were a champion of the Alliance once! This isn't you."_

_"Shut-up!" Grimes hissed, clutching his head. He wrenched his sword out and began to swing._

_"Listen to me, Grimes. You must fight the Lich King's control. He's a monster that wants to see this world-our world-in ruin. Don't let him accomplish his goals. You were once a hero and you can be again. Fight, damn you! Fight his control!"_

_"What's going on in there? What's taking so long, Grimes!?" called the officer again._

_"There…There's no time for me. I'm done for. Finish me off, Grimes. Do it or they'll kill us both. Grimes…Remember Elwynn. The world is worth saving."_

_"I-I can't do it," Grimes said, lowering his blade._

_"It's okay, you must do it," Ellen said hugging him._

_"No, I won't kill you…"_

_"Do it! Just don't forget what I told you, fight him. Fight and kill that bastard master of yours!" Grimes opened his mouth to reply, but stopped. She was right. Grimes embraced Ellen again before drawing his sword back._

_"I love you," Ellen whispered in his ear._

_"I love you too," Grimes replied._

_Grimes plunged his blade forward, piercing Ellen through her stomach. She gave a sharp intake of breath as the blade embedded itself into her. Ellen slumped forward in Grimes' arms and he caught her. He sat on the ground, holding Ellen's fragile body. Ellen opened her eyes, giving him a sad smile. She caressed his face before using the last of her strength to connect her lips to his. It was short lived as Ellen's head fell away from his, her hand making a dull thump as it hit the ground._

_Grimes reached into her neck collar and pulled out her dog tags, bringing them to his lips. He set her body down gently, setting her dog tags in his pocket. He moved out of the house, dazed at killing his friend and late lover._

_/Flashback End/_

Grimes bolted upright, gasping for air. Sweat ran down his face and chest. He buried his face in his hands, letting out a long sigh. The sun poked through the blinds of his window. It was going to be a long day.

* * *

Hours previously, everyone had just gone to bed. Gaz was twitching in his sleep. His decent into his nightmare had begun.

_/Flashback/_

_Gaz had been playing with his older brother, James, outside. He had been pestering James to play with him for the better part of a fortnight. Gaz turned around and was tackled by James, who jumped from a bush._

_"Heh, too slow Gaz!" James said with a smirk._

_"You're too fast!" Gaz shot back._

_James was about to retort, but stopped when he saw a man walking up to the house. The man was tall, balding and looked exhausted. The front door of the house opened and their mother stepped out. She was most likely the most beautiful woman in all of Elwynn Forest. She had long raven hair, slender legs, hourglass figure and an immense bust size. The woman looked at the man before her and gasped._

_"T-Tom?" she asked, unsure if her mind was playing tricks. The man looked up and gave a smile._

_"I'm home, Rachel," the man replied. Rachel lunged forward and tackled the man into a hug._

_"Boys, your father's home!" Rachel called with happiness._

_"For real?!" both chorused, running to their parents._

_The two tackled their father to the ground, grinning widely. Tom looked down at his sons and ruffled their hair._

_"How are my two little warriors doing?" Tom asked, standing up._

_"Great! We've been sparring each other daily!" James replied._

_"That's great; soon you'll be able to join your old man in the Argent Dawn."_

_Rachel kissed Tom quickly before walking back to the house, swaying her hips seductively._

_"You got home just in time, I just finished cooking dinner," Rachel spoke._

_"Okay! Come on boys, let's go eat some dinner and hit the sack," Tom spoke, following Rachel inside._

_After dinner, the family went to bed. Gaz and James climbed into their beds just as they heard a loud moan from upstairs._

_"Are they doing-?" Gaz began._

_"I really don't want to know, but probably," James replied, pulling his covers up._

_Gaz extinguished the candles, closing his eyes just as he heard his mother scream in pleasure._

_"Oh yes! Right there, Tom!" Rachel screamed._

_"Lucky bastard," Gaz thought, before drifting off to sleep._

_Later that night, while everyone was asleep, the house door creaked open. Gaz awoke after hearing the door open. He quietly crept out of bed and exited the room. Gaz noticed the front door was ajar, and walked outside to close it. Just as his hand touched the knob, he fell to the ground out cold._

_Shortly after Gaz hit the ground, he regained consciousness. Gaz felt his head pulsing rapidly as he sat up. He stood up abruptly and grabbed the dagger he kept concealed at his waist. Gaz entered the house again, but he stepped in something wet._

_"What the hell?" Gaz muttered._

_He pulled out a match, lighting a nearby candle. He turned deathly pale at what he saw. James was lying there on the ground, a pool of blood under him. He covered his mouth as tears built up in his eyes. He heard a sword clang upstairs, followed by his mom's scream. Gaz quickly rushed up the stairs and saw the fray taking place._

_His father fell to the ground, a sword embedded in his stomach. Gaz looked up at the murderer and his eyes widened. It was the two next door neighbors, the Griffin brothers. Gaz was always bullied by them and had the scars to prove it._

_"Nice job, bro! Now what should we do with her?" asked the shorter one._

_"Let's have some fun with her; I'll go finish off Gaz."_

_"No! I'll do anything; just don't kill my baby boy!" Rachel pleaded._

_"Anything?" asked the short one. "Well let's see how well you work that mouth of yours." He unbuckled his pants dropping them to the floor. He forced Rachel to take his cock between her breasts. The short one groaned as Rachel moved her breasts up and down._

_"Get off my mom, you mother fucker!" Gaz roared, tackling the taller brother. The two brothers looked at Gaz in surprise. He wrenched out his knife and shoved it into the taller brother's jaw, killing him slowly._

_"Bro!" the shorter one yelled._

_"You're next!" Gaz spat, picking up his father's sword._

_The shorter one quickly pulled up his pants and charged Gaz. Gaz ducked from the swing, weaving around him. He threw a punch across the short ones face, hearing a crunch._

_"That was my nose!"_

_"You should have thought twice before killing my family and raping my mother!"_

_Rachel put her robe back on and watched the fight. She saw Gaz kill the elder brother in rage without remorse. Rachel was also surprised at how easily Gaz made the shorter one fear him. She unknowingly blushed as she looked at Gaz. Gaz was pretty much a carbon copy of his father, while James looked more like her. She winced at the wound in her stomach. The cut was deep and she was slowly bleeding out._

_Gaz delivered a couple more punches across the younger brother's face. The brother pulled out a knife to kill Gaz, but it flew out of his hand when Gaz parried it._

_"Hey, hey," Gaz said with a hushed tone, wrapping his hands around the brother's neck. "I'll be coming to hell to kill you again, real soon!" he threw the brother away, causing him to fall out of the window._

_He hurried over to his mom and scooped her up in his arms. Gaz felt something warm soaking his shirt. He whimpered knowing what it was. Gaz felt a soft hand touch his face. He looked down and saw his mom smiling at him._

_"I-I'm proud of you, Gaz," Rachel stuttered._

_"Stay with me mom! Everything's going to be alright," Gaz urged, tears falling down his face._

_"No tears now," Rachel said, wiping his face._

_"Mom…please. Don't die on me,"_

_"I'm sorry, Gaz. I'll be okay; it's my time to go. Your brother, father and I will be waiting for you,"_

_Rachel turned Gaz's head towards her. She smiled at the memories she had with Gaz. Had he been older and she wasn't married to Tom, she would have married him. Rachel could only hope the girl Gaz loved would not pass up on an offering he gave. She pressed her lips to his forehead._

_"Goodbye my precious son," Rachel whispered. Rachel's eyes slowly closed as her last breath left her._

_"No…" Gaz whispered, tears falling down his face. Muffled sobs escaped his lips as he buried his face in her hair. He lost them, he lost them all._

_/Flashback End/_

"No!" Gaz shouted, waking from his nightmare. He panted; sweat ran down his face from remembering the dream. Gaz swore repeatedly pounding his pillow before collapsing back on his bed. The sun poked through his window, glistening on his face. He sighed before climbing out of bed. Maybe some fresh air would help ease his mind.

* * *

As everyone went to sleep hours previously, Mac felt himself becoming drowsy. He didn't want to fall asleep. If he did, then it would lead him to his worst memory. Mac's eyes fluttered a little before closing.

_/Flashback/_

_Mac and his girlfriend were stumbling out of a bar. Both of them laughing uncontrollably and sporting red faces._

_"And stay out!" yelled the bartender._

_"Oh, fuck off grasshopper!" Mac shot back._

_Hayley giggled and leaned onto Mac's side. Mac swayed slightly as he pulled her down the road. Cannonballs were hitting areas around them, but that was expected during a war. Mac tripped, pulling Hayley with him. Hayley leaned down and kissed him. It was sloppy due to the fact they were both drunk._

_Hayley stood up gingerly, helping Mac to his feet. She leaned into his chest and sighed in bliss. Mac wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into a hug. He rested his cheek on the crown of her head._

_"We should probably get out of the road," Hayley murmured._

_"Yeah," Mac replied, clasping her hand._

_Thunder rumbled overhead and lightning flashed across the sky. The two of them continued to walk back to Hayley's house. Rain began soaking them both as it poured down in buckets. A loud whoosh soared over them, followed by a loud boom. A cannonball destroyed part of a house in front of them._

_"We'd better hurry," Hayley slurred._

_"I know, we're almost there," Mac responded, quickening his pace._

_The two of them began to jog down the path, swaying all over the place. Hayley's house was just in sight. Hayley began to hurry ahead of Mac, who started to slow down. Mac bent down and vomited up some of the alcohol he consumed earlier._

_"Hayley, hold up!" Mac called, hustling after her._

_Hayley turned around just as she opened her door. Mac was less than eight feet away before he heard another loud whoosh. The next thing Mac knew, he was blasted off his feet landing a little ways back. Hayley's house had taken a direct hit from a cannonball. The house erupted into flames, just as Mac blacked out._

_Mac's eyes slowly opened and he realized he was staring at a ceiling. Mac craned his neck to the side and noticed he was inside an infirmary. He sat up slowly, taking note that his hands were wrapped in bandages, as well as his forehead and face. Mac saw some doctors to his left, bustling over a person in the bed._

_"Try it again," one doctor spoke._

_"Okay," another replied._

_"Goddamn-it, it's just not working,"_

_"What's going on?" Mac asked aloud. The doctors turned to Mac and one walked over to him._

_"How are you feeling there, son?" the doctor inquired._

_"I'm fine, where's Hayley?" Mac replied._

_"You mean the girl that was with you?"_

_"Yeah, is she okay?"_

_"Mac, I… I don't know how to say this but," the second doctor spoke._

_"But what, where's Hayley?"_

_"Well…She's…She's dead, Mac,"_

_"What!? Don't give me that bullshit, you hear me!?" Mac roared._

_"Mac, she's right there. We did everything we could, but she didn't pull through," the first doctor said sadly._

_Mac turned his head a little further and noticed Hayley. She looked so pale and stiff, her lips were blue in color._

_"Hayley, I… I know you can hear me Hayley," Mac said, clambering out of his bed. He stumbled over to her bed and clasped her hand. Mac gave a sharp intake of breath when he clasped her hand. It was cold as ice. Mac lowered his head, tears building up in his eyes. He rested his head by Hayley's hand, shaking with a sob in between. Mac heard someone calling his voice. He raised his head, and turned to see the doctors mouthing his name. But slowly, their voices began to change into more familiar voices he'd heard before._

_/Flashback End/_

"Mac, come on. It's time to get up," Grimes voiced.

"Mac, get up!" Gaz barked.

Mac groaned and opened his eyes slowly. The sun poked between his bedroom curtains, stinging his eyes. He sat up with a stretch and turned to his door. He saw Gaz and Grimes looking at him.

"Morning, Sleeping Beauty," Grimes said with a smirk.

"It's morning already?" Mac grumbled.

"Obviously, otherwise we would still be in bed now, wouldn't we?" Gaz replied.

Mac opened his mouth to retort but stopped. He hopped out of bed and walked to his closet, putting on some old clothes to fight in. Mac walked out of the room to see Gaz, Naruto and Grimes waiting for him.

"Well, let's go and pass this damn test," Mac said with a bored tone.

* * *

**Well that's the chapter, Review when done reading please, I'd appreciate it. I'll have next chapter up sometime soon now that summer vacation is here for me, If I'm not playing WoW for raids. See you next time!-CaptainPrice.**


	6. The Bell Test

**Yo, here's the next installment for, Shinobi of the Ebon Blade. This may seem a little off topic, but my Birthday is on Wednesday. If I could have a present from anyone who reads FanFiction or my stories, I'd like some reviews. Now, with that out of the way, here's the chapter. Read and Review when done please!**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Naruto or World of Warcraft (WoW), I own the OC's, the story, and the idea of the story! If I did own Naruto or World of Warcraft I probably would be making armies of godlike creatures.**

**Legend:**

**Bold-Inner Sakura/Kyuubi/Death Knight abilities**

_Italics-Thoughs/Letters/Flashbacks_

* * *

Naruto, Mac and Gaz made their way to the training ground. Grimes walked off saying he was going to find Kakashi so he wouldn't be late. As the three of them arrived, they saw Sakura and Sasuke already there waiting. When Sasuke looked up he glared at the three of them. Sakura, being the fangirl that she was, glared at the three of them as well.

The three Death Knights brushed their glares aside and sat under a tree. Each of them pulled out an apple and some bread. Seeing this, Sakura stomped over to them with her hands on her hips.

"What the hell are you idiots doing!? Sensei told us not to eat breakfast!" Sakura shrieked.

"Bite me, banshee," Gaz replied, giving her a cold glare.

"What'd you say!?"

"Now, now, this isn't how teammates should treat each other," said a voice.

Team seven looked up to see their sensei's standing on the tree branches. Grimes hopped off the branch, landing beside the three Death Knights. Kakashi jumped down and looked at the team in front of him. He eye smiled before digging in his pocket for something. There was a low tinkling sound as Kakashi pulled out four silver bells.

"Now, Grimes and I will be holding two bells. In order to get them, you need to come at us with the intent to kill," Kakashi spoke, tossing two bells to Grimes.

"But sensei, we can hurt you." Sakura said nervously.

"_Is she that fucking stupid?" _thought the Death Knights.

"We aren't Jounin for nothing, Sakura," Grimes replied, hooking the bells to his belt.

"I guess, but there's another thing,"

"What would that be?" Kakashi asked.

"There are only four bells and there are five of us,"

"Ah, so you noticed?" Kakashi said with an eye smile. "Well it's simple, the person who doesn't get a bell is sent back to the academy,"

Naruto, Gaz and Mac all smirked at the statement. This test was going to be about teamwork. The three of them, even though they strong individuals; cannot defeat a Jounin alone. If they worked as a team, they would be unstoppable. Grimes pulled out a timer and set it on a wooden stake.

"You have until noon to get a bell." Grimes said. "And…Start!"

* * *

The five Genin hopped away into different positions. Naruto crept through the bushes to find Mac and Gaz kneeling down. He hurried over to them and began to devise a plan.

"Okay boss, what's the plan here?" asked Gaz.

"There are four bells; both Grimes and Kakashi have two. Before we do anything, I think it would be best to study their fighting style. So one of us is going to fight one of them; once we figure out their tricks, we will move in for the bells." Naruto said, tapping his fingers on the ground.

"Sounds like a good idea, so who's going to attack Kakashi?" Mac inquired.

"I'll do it, I want to try out a technique I learned just recently," Gaz replied.

"We'll let Grimes take care of Sasuke and Sakura,"

"Let's move!"

The three Death Knights shunshined away into separate parts of the field. Naruto hid in the treeline to the south, Mac was concealed inside some nearby bushes, and Gaz was hiding behind a rock.

Gaz took a deep breath and stepped out from behind the rock. He noticed Kakashi had his face buried in an orange book. Gaz frowned at this and shook his head in disapproval. Kakashi looked up at him before returning to his book.

"Well, you seem confident," Kakashi stated.

"Let's see what you got, Cyclops!" Gaz barked. He felt his Unholy Presence kick in and he dashed towards Kakashi.

Kakashi was surprised at the speed of the Genin in front of him. He ducked under a punch from Gaz, who quickly retaliated with an axe kick. Kakashi swerved around the kick and threw a punch at Gaz. Gaz parried the fist with insane speed causing Kakashi's eye to widen in shock.

_"How is he so fast? He isn't using any chakra but his speed is about the same level as Gai's!" _Kakashi thought.

Gaz jumped back and threw a few shuriken at Kakashi who was distracted. He then summoned his sword and charged him. Kakashi snapped out of his stupor to see shuriken flying towards him. He quickly pulled out a kunai and parried all the shuriken, only to find Gaz in front of him with his blade coming in for a strike.

"Nani!?" Kakashi gasped. He parried the blade just in time, but the hit caused his arm to go numb.

"What a shame, I would've thought you'd be able to kick my ass," Gaz taunted.

"Don't get cocky, kid!" Kakashi retorted as he charged at Gaz.

"Bingo," Gaz muttered.

He waited until Kakashi was less than five feet away then swerved around him. He raised his palm in the air and released his runic power.

**"Anti-Magic Zone,"** Gaz whispered.

A purple dome surrounded Gaz and Kakashi. Kakashi was a little confused that Gaz had trapped himself inside the dome. Kakashi decided to use the Shinjuu Zanshu and began making hand seals quickly. Kakashi smirked thinking that Gaz would panic, but to his surprise, Gaz was grinning broadly.

"Why can't I use my chakra?" Kakashi asked himself.

"Well, that's because of my dome here," Gaz replied. "It traps the user and the enemy inside, disabling any magic or in your case, chakra,"

Kakashi's eye widened in shock and he hopped away from Gaz who slashed at him. Gaz narrowed his eyes; he had about eight seconds until the dome dropped. Gaz lunged at Kakashi, throwing a strike with his blade. The swing was too late, the barrier fell and Kakashi hopped back narrowly missing the attack. There was a loud boom as the ground where Kakashi was a second earlier exploded, leaving a crater.

"Damn-it, I missed him." Gaz cursed.

"What the hell was that attack?" Kakashi asked Gaz.

"One of my favorites, **Plague Strike**."

Gaz shunshined away and landed by Naruto who was grinning at him. He told Naruto of the weakness and he nodded his head in understanding. Naruto and Gaz shunshined again, this time landing beside Mac.

"So what's the plan?" Mac asked.

"We're doing an all out assault on him," Gaz spoke.

"I'm going to slow him down with **Chains of Ice**. Then we'll rush at him and Gaz will use the **Anti-Magic Zone** again. When that happens we'll use melee to tire him out enough for one of us to get the bells," Naruto said, looking at the two of them.

"Okay, let's make him holler." Mac said standing up.

* * *

Meanwhile, Sasuke and Sakura had been watching the fight between Gaz and Kakashi. Sasuke was seething in rage at Gaz's abilities which were far more superior to his. Sakura was glaring at Gaz the whole time.

"How dare that dobe steal Sasuke-kun's light!" Sakura hissed.

"How does that loser have such power? I must have it, not some lowlife like him!" Sasuke spat with malice.

Sasuke decided to go find Grimes and steal a bell from him. He wasn't a ninja so he should be a piece of cake. There was no way he could beat him, an Uchiha. Sakura noticed Sasuke's chakra signature fading away and began to follow him.

"I'm going to help Sasuke-kun get a bell from that freak of a sensei and then he'll love me!" Sakura said with glee.

"I wouldn't be too sure about that," a voice whispered in her ear.

Sakura turned around and came face to face with Grimes. Grimes smirked at her and went through a series of hand signs. Sakura was still in shock and remained frozen to the spot.

"This is what happens when you freeze up on a mission, Sakura." Grimes said finishing the last sign. "Narakumi,"

Sakura noticed Grimes was gone and she was alone. She let out a sigh of relief and stood up slowly. There was a rustle in the bushes that caused her to stop dead.

"S-Sakura," Sasuke croaked. Sakura's fear immediately drained and she turned around in joy.

"Sasuke-kun!" she said in glee, but it turned to horror. Tears began to swell up in her eyes at the sight. Sasuke was pierced with multiple shuriken and kunai, one of his eyes was missing and blood was running all over his body.

"Goddamn you, Sakura! You got me and the others killed!" Sasuke shouted. He slumped against the tree coughing up blood.

"I-I'm sorry, Sasuke-kun. Please just hang on!" Sakura wailed.

"Fuck you, you we're useless! You froze up in combat causing me and the team to end up in this state! A shinobi doesn't freeze like that and let their teammates die!"

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry!"

"Good luck, you'll need it. They're too damn powerful,"

"Please don't die, Sasuke-kun!"

"Pathetic, that's what you are. A pathetic girl that shouldn't even be called a kunoichi…Goddamn you, Sakura." Sasuke finished, falling to the ground dead.

Sakura screamed in anguish and horror, fainting to the ground. Grimes sat up in the tree, glaring down at the kunoichi. He shook his head and shunshined away to find the Uchiha. That was most probably the weakest kunoichi he had ever met.

* * *

Back with Kakashi and the Death Knight's, things were a little different. Kakashi was being forced on the defensive, not being allowed to attack any of them. He was exhausted and he wasn't going to be able to remain like this much longer. He saw they were working together, but he had no idea that they were this strong. What really surprised him was their plan.

First, Naruto appeared behind him and used some type of ice jutsu, causing him to move at snail pace. Then all three charged at him and the Gaz summoned another dome. If they could do this to him without much difficulty, they we're probably the most outstanding team out of the academy. Kakashi pulled out a second kunai and blocked both Naruto's and Mac's attacks.

"Zano, now!" Mac barked.

Gaz darted around Kakashi and wrenched the bells from his belt. Mac and Naruto hopped away with Gaz between them taking a defensive position. Kakashi looked up at them with his eye smile.

"Excellent job you three," Kakashi said, putting his kunai away just as the bell rang.

* * *

The five Genin sat in front of Grimes and Kakashi who were looking at them with disappointed looks. Sasuke had been humiliated, Grimes ended up freezing him in a wall of ice. While Sakura was still recovering from the genjutsu Grimes used on her.

Kakashi sighed and glared at the team in front of them. They had shown the worst teamwork he had ever seen in his life. Granted Naruto, Gaz and Mac worked as a team and excelled in getting a bell, they didn't bother to include or tell the other two about the tests true meaning.

"I am very disappointed in all of you," Kakashi said.

"We understood the meaning of the test you fuckin' bastard!" Gaz snapped angrily.

"Gaz, calm down and let him explain." Grimes said looking at Gaz.

"While you did understand the meaning of the test, you didn't fully work as a team,"

"All three of us-," Mac began, but was cut off.

"I know that! But all five of you were supposed to do this together!"

"If you haven't noticed, Cyclops. The Uchiha's ego and attitude would only cause him to blow us off completely, and as for the banshee, she is his follower!" Mac retorted.

"I'm sure that they would have been willing to help,"

"I don't need anyone's help, I'm an Uchiha! I'm an elite, I don't need help from people like you, you'd only hold me back!" Sasuke spat.

"See what I mean!?" Mac said, pointing at Sasuke.

"Sasuke-kun's right, he doesn't need any help from losers!" Sakura yelled.

"Enough!" Grimes roared. "Bottom line, the test was about teamwork. You three did an excellent job, so I'll pass you."

"What about us!?" Sakura shrieked.

"I'd fail your sorry ass right here!" Grimes snapped. "You fell for the easiest genjutsu in the book! You didn't do jack, all you did was look for the Uchiha!"

"That, right there, shows that you'd only be a hindrance to everyone if we were on a mission!" Grimes continued before rounding on Sasuke.

"Now you, Mr. High and Mighty. I don't care about who you are or who your family was, I am your sensei and you will show me some respect! Now pull that stick out of your ass and get off your path for revenge, it'll get you nowhere in life!"

"We've got a long way to go as a team," Kakashi spoke. "All of you pass, but you need to cooperate with each other from now on. Come and follow me for a second,"

Everyone began to follow Kakashi through the woods until they came to a clearing. In the center of the clearing was a stone with names written all over it. Kakashi turned back to the group with a solemn look.

"This is the Hero's Memorial Stone, it has the names of shinobi on here who gave their lives for causes. My teammate, Obito and sensei, the Fourth Hokage are both on this stone here. I will never forget the thing Obito said to me before he died." Kakashi looked at the group.

"Those who quit are trash, but those who abandon their friends are worse than trash,"

"I have something to say to you all as well," Grimes voiced. "Before he died, my dad told me every soldier has two families. Those you raise and those you raise hell with. All of us are now a family,"

"We'll meet at the bridge here tomorrow for our first mission," Kakashi spoke. "Don't forget anything either of us said to you just now."

With that, Grimes and Kakashi shunshined away. Naruto, Gaz and Mac decided to go and get some lunch, leaving Sakura and Sasuke alone. Sasuke turned to walk home but was stopped by Sakura.

"Sasuke-kun, I was wondering if you-," Sakura began.

"No," he replied curtly before walking off.

* * *

**Love it? Hate it? Well, hope you liked the chapter. Please read and review when done please. I'll try to get another chapter out sometime in the next week. See you then-CaptainPrice**

**Death Knight Abilities:**

**Plague Strike: A viscious strike that deals 50% Weapon damage plus 189 and infects the target with Blood Plague, a disease doing shadow damage over time.**

**Anti-Magic Zone: Surrounds the Death Knight in an Anti-Magic Shell, absorbing 75% of the damage dealt by harmful spells (up to a maximum of 50% of the Death Knight's health) and preventing application of harmful magical effects. Damage absorbed by Anti-Magic Shell energizes the Death Knight with additional runic power. Lasts 5 sec. (A/N: I just made Gaz's longer)**

**Chains of Ice: Shackles the target with frozen chains, reducing their movement to zero. The target regains 10% of their movement each second for 10 sec.**

**Unholy Presence: Increases the Death Knights moving speed and attack speed by 75%. Decreases Cooldown time for spells and abilities by 75%. (A/N: I think that's right... Someone correct me if I'm wrong please, lol)**


	7. Missions and a Joint Operation

**Yo, here's the next update for Shinobi of the Ebon Blade. I apologize for the delay, I kept rewritting the chapter because I didn't like how it turned out, I would read through it and be like, "No, no this won't work it wouldn't spark with the readers." Anyway, School starts for me next Monday so I will be a Senior in High school and I might have difficulty updating they story. Now I hope this chapter meets the expectations of the readers, if not then I have failed. So without further delay I give you the next chapter of Shinobi of the Ebon Blade. But first I want to answer a question a couple viewers had. Question: Why give the Death Knights the ability for Jutsu if they're already powerful without them. Answer: I didn't want to be repetitive, because then the Death Knights would end up using the same techniques they learned and it would get boring, so I thought I would combine them with jutsu to make it more interesting. Now don't give me a hard time for that I got some sweet ideas. Anyway, on with the story! Read and Review when done!**

**Bold-Kyuubi/Death Knight abilities/Jutsu**

_Italics-Thoughts/Letters/Flashbacks_

**I do NOT own Naruto or WoW, if I did I would be a God among men. I DO however, own the OC's Gaz, Grimes, Mac/The Story/And the idea of the story itself!**

* * *

Three weeks had gone by since Team 7 had passed the bell test. Since then, the team has been spending time between training and several low ranking missions. Naruto, Mac and Gaz had been sparring with each other and Grimes to improve their kenjutsu. Sasuke had been receiving training from Kakashi who hadn't trained anyone else. Sakura hadn't made any progress at all; she didn't train or attempt to ask for assistance on anything. Despite Grimes' attempts to change Sakura's and Sasuke's attitude, it had all been a waste of his time.

Naruto, Grimes, Mac and Gaz were walking back from another training session. As they were walking back, the four of them bumped into Team 8. Grimes glanced at Kurenai who turned away in shame. She couldn't make eye contact with the man she had hurt when he had done nothing wrong.

_/Flashback/_

_Kurenai was sitting before the Hokage who had a stern look on his face. Kurenai shifted nervously under his stare looking at the floor. Hiruzen let out a sigh before puffing out some smoke from his pipe._

_"Kurenai, I must say I am very disappointed in you," he said._

_"Hokage-sama, I didn't mean to-," Kurenai began, but Hiruzen held his hand up._

_"Kurenai, I know you take your career seriously, but you must not jump to conclusions like that. You have caused Grimes to almost kill four of our shinobi!"_

_Kurenai couldn't say anything, she bowed her head dejectedly. She just wanted to curl up into a ball and hide for the rest of the evening. Three days ago she became a Jounin, but in less than a week, she had already made a grave mistake. She wouldn't have been surprised if she was either stripped from her rank or demoted for this._

_"Now, I'm not going to demote you or dismiss you from your duties. But you are still going to be punished," Hiruzen said._

_"I understand, Hokage-sama," Kurenai replied._

_"For your punishment, you are going to be stuck doing D-rank missions with your pay cut in half, and you are to apologize to Grimes when you see him again. Understand?"_

_"Understood, Hokage-sama,"_

_/Flashback End/_

Kurenai looked up and noticed Kiba trying to pick a fight with Naruto. She realized that it was because he made a comment to Hinata and Kiba became enraged, saying something about hitting on his woman. Kurenai then grabbed Kiba's ear and turned him to face her.

"Hinata is not your property Kiba, now shut-up and don't ever say something like that again in front of me. Understood?" Kurenai stated with a fierce glare.

Kiba merely nodded, obviously shaken to the core. Kurenai then turned to Grimes and swallowed the lump in her throat. This was going to be more difficult than she had anticipated. His neon blue eyes were once again covered with a genjutsu to maintain a low profile. Finally gathering her courage she looked Grimes in the eye and took a deep breath.

"Grimes, would you and your team like to join us for lunch?"

Grimes was now confused from the request. Earlier that month she called him out and almost made him kill four shinobi. Now she wants his team to eat lunch with hers. As much as he wanted to deny the invitation, he knew it was rude and he was a chick magnet. Coming to a decision Grimes gave Kurenai a grin and nodded.

"We'd be honored, wouldn't we guys?" Grimes said looking at his students.

"Well saves me some time, I wanted to ask Hinata to lunch at a point," Naruto said grinning at Hinata.

"Why you son of a bi-," Kiba was about to yell, but stopped when he felt a hand on his throat. He looked down and noticed he was staring into Gaz's eyes and almost shit his pants in fear. Kiba realized that this was not the guy to piss off and immediately closed his mouth.

"Listen here you little shit, I think it's in the best interest as for your well being that you do not finish that statement unless you want me to snap your neck," Gaz hissed.

"Gaz let go of Kiba, no need to make enemies with a fellow team," Grimes spoke.

Gaz grunted and removed his hand from Kiba's throat. Kurenai was impressed at how well Grimes' students were disciplined. Her team's teamwork was great, but the lack of discipline was poor. Perhaps she could get Grimes to give her some tips.

"So where are we going for lunch?" Mac asked.

"How about, Ichiraku Ramen? It's cheap and the food is great," Kurenai suggested

"Sounds good," Grimes replied.

* * *

The two teams arrived at the ramen stand shortly after and ordered their food. Naruto was flirting with Hinata who was blushing like crazy. Kurenai had to give Naruto credit that his interaction with Hinata was helping her with her confidence and her speech impediment. She looked at Shino and noticed he seemed to enjoy talking with Gaz and Mac. Kiba glared at Naruto as he flirted with Hinata with clenched fists. Kurenai shook her head in disappointment at Kiba. She really needed to knock him down a few pegs.

"Grimes, I need to say something to you," Kurenai said turning to him.

"What exactly do you need to say?" Grimes asked narrowing his eyes. He had a good idea what it was but he was still cautious, he didn't want to get hurt again.

"I wanted to apologize what I did to you three weeks ago. I had no right to do that, if you could forgive me I would be more than willing to start off again,"

Grimes looked at her for a moment before looking down to his ramen. He began tapping his bowl with one of the chopsticks in contemplation. His thoughts were racing and he was rather reluctant to reply.

_"What should I do? Hiruzen said he would talk with her, but what if she tries something behind his back? On the other hand she is willing to make amends with me. Awe shit, this is going to be difficult to decide,"_

He was brought out of his thoughts when he felt a hand on his shoulder. Grimes flinched a little realizing it was Kurenai's but regained composure. He turned to face her folding his hands with a decision made.

"Tell you what; if you prove to me that you're trustworthy I'll forgive you. Deal?" Grimes inquired.

Kurenai was once again surprised; she had expected two answers from him. The first was a definite deny. The second answer was to be a date with him and maybe some attempted gropes. But no, it was just a request that she would be able to meet with a lot of work. The thought of Grimes asking her out on a date for some reason made her blush slightly.

"Deal, although I am surprised that was your answer," Kurenai replied.

"Let me guess, you either expected me to deny your request or ask you to dinner?" Grimes asked with a sly smirk.

"That's too good for a guess, want to start explaining?"

"Psychic powers,"

"Seriously?"

"Nah, just kidding with you it was just speculation,"

Kurenai giggled a little at the response, it seemed he had a good sense of humor. Just as she was about to ask Grimes about his life, another voice broke into the conversation.

"Ah Grimes, there you are!" Kakashi said with an eye smile.

"What is it now?" Grimes asked Kakashi. He did not like Kakashi at all; the man was the most pompous prick on two feet in his eyes.

"Well I came to find you and the others because we just got called to the Hokage's office, he also called for Kurenai's team too," Kakashi replied turning a page in his book.

"Fine, get up boys we got called to the Hokage's Tower,"

* * *

Grimes and his students walked out of the ramen stand with Kurenai's team in tow. Kakashi had shunshined to the tower to wait with Sakura and Sasuke. Kurenai walked to Grimes' side and noticed he looked pissed. She was sure it wasn't the summoning to the tower, but more so around Kakashi.

"Grimes, is something wrong?" Kurenai asked

"I do not like that guy, he's got to be the most pompous bastard I've ever met," Grimes replied.

"What did he do?"

"More along the lines of what he didn't do,"

"Okay, what didn't he do?"

"He has been solely focused on training the Uchiha, he ignores Sakura and the others. The only proper thing he taught them was the creed he was given to by his best friend, which is ironic because the fucker is breaking it!"

Kurenai was shocked; she always looked up to Kakashi as a role model before she made Jounin. But from what Grimes had just told her, Kakashi apparently was not all that he seemed. From what she heard, it seemed that Kakashi was only playing favoritism on the protégée.

"That creed is probably the only thing keeping the team together, but it's most likely the thing that will destroy it," Grimes continued.

"Not to be rude or anything, but don't you think you might be exaggerating a little bit?" Kurenai asked unsure.

"I'm not exaggerating Kurenai, if you want to see it for yourself, watch a team practice and see how it goes,"

* * *

The two teams found themselves outside the Hokage's office in front of his secretary. The secretary looked at them and glared at Naruto who maintained a bored look. Grimes noticed this and sent his killer intent with full force at the secretary who immediately turned pale, his expression changed to pure horror and he fell out of his chair to move into a fettle position.

Team Eight was shivering in fear, Grimes' killing intent wasn't even focused on them but it felt like they were being suffocated from the inside. Akamaru had released his bladder and peed in Kiba's hood. Hinata was gasping for air, Shino was twitching badly and Kiba had grabbed a kunai ready to kill himself to escape the terror. Just as the killing intent was blasted it quickly dissipated. Kurenai looked at Grimes with fear and awe; he was the most mysterious person she had ever met.

The group entered the Hokage's office to see the Hokage and Iruka sitting behind a desk with a stack of folders. Kakashi had his face buried in his book, Sasuke looked bored and Sakura was currently trying to flirt with Sasuke but failing miserably. The door closed behind them which caught the attention of everyone in the room. Sakura and Sasuke glared at Grimes who glared back at them briefly flashing his neon blue eyes which made them gulp.

"Ah good, you're all here!" Hiruzen said with a grin.

"So what're we doing today old man?" Naruto asked.

"Show him some respect you baka!" Sakura screeched. She would've hit him but found her feet trapped in ice, immobilizing her.

"Well that aside, I guess I should give your teams missions," Hiruzen said picking up a folder.

"Team Seven, your assignments today are painting a fence, doing yard work around the tower, and catching Tora the cat,"

"Again, what the fuck does that lady do to that cat that makes it run away?!" Gaz shouted.

"I honestly don't know but that's one of your assignments so it needs to be done,"

"Goddamn-it,"

"I have to agree with you on that one, Gaz," Mac added his two cents.

"Come on old man, can we please have a higher ranked mission? We've done enough D-rank missions to do at least one C-rank," Naruto said desperate to do something different.

"Well, I do have one C-rank mission that needs to be attended." Hiruzen replied picking up another folder. "Send the client in,"

The door opened to reveal a man in his early fifties; he smelt of alcohol and looked drunk. The man stumbled into the room as he took another sloppy gulp of sake. He turned to the two teams and raised an eyebrow.

"Hey, I asked for great ninja not some snot nosed kids. The one with the raven hair looks gay and weak," the man slurred.

"What did you say?!" Sasuke yelled enraged.

The Death Knights were holding their sides from laughing so hard. Gaz had to lean onto the wall just to remain standing. Sasuke charged at the man but Kakashi grabbed the back of his shirt, not taking his eyes away from the book.

"Now, now Sasuke, we can't do a C-Rank mission with you trying to kill our client," Kakashi said matter-of-factly.

"Don't worry Tazuna-san, I wouldn't have them doing this mission if they weren't ready," Hiruzen assured.

"Alright, I suppose we should get a move on," Tazuna said.

"Not so fast, you're filled with alcohol we'll wait until tomorrow when you're sober," Grimes said taking the bottle from the man before gulping down the rest of the drink.

"Damn I needed that bad,"

"Wait when you say 'we' does that mean that Team Eight is coming with us?" Sakura asked.

"Yes it does you pink haired imbecile," Mac replied with a smirk.

"What did you call me?!"

"Calm down Sakura," Grimes ordered.

Sakura quickly closed her mouth and turned to try flirting with Sasuke again. Team Eight was happy they were going to be able to tag along for a C-Rank mission. Gaz, Naruto, Mac and Sasuke didn't show it but they were stoked that they got a new mission, and they were all eager to show their skills.

"Very well, we will leave the main gate tomorrow at seven; bring a month's worth of gear and Kakashi be on time or so help me god I will burn that damn book of yours in front of your eyes," Grimes instructed.

"Alright, then it's settled. Your teams will leave tomorrow morning, dismissed," Hiruzen said closing the folder labeling it 'Approved'.

* * *

**Well, that's the chapter I hope it satisfied readers. Anyway, read and review as always please, the more reviews the harder I'll work to make the next chapter and get it up. It also gives me fuel to write, if I don't get any reviews I feel like it's pointless to continue the story. Well anyway, see you next time! -CaptainPrice**

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**You Know you want to, lol**


	8. The first bad news

**Yo, CaptainPrice back with another update for Shinobi of the Ebon Blade. I know this chapter is late but senior year is getting to me for high school and college applications, writers block, and all that, but I'm back now. I checked the story for reviews at times and I came across two reviews from Django99980 for chapter 3 and 7. **

**Review one: You make your guy pretty OP for a noob... Greatsword of Ebon Blade? Really? Level 70? Wow... Bet you don't even have a single piece of Ulduar gear, let alone tier 9.**

**Answer: Dude, it's just a story, if you don't like it back off. And for your information I got T9.5 so shut up. I only want criticism to help improve my writing for the story not some mindless bullshit like you stated.**

**Review 2: So you actually admit that all DK skill comes from face rolling. Hah! Try playing a real class.**

**Answer: I don't play my DK anymore I got bored with him, now fuck off.**

**Now that that's out of the way Let's get on with the chapter!**

**Bold-Inner Sakura/Kyuubi/Death Knight Abilities/Jutsu(A/N: Will have explanations on the abilities at the end of the chapter here)**

_Italic-Thoughts/Letters/Flashbacks_

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Naruto or World of Warcraft. I own the OCs, the story and the idea of the story.**

* * *

Morning came quickly for Team Seven and Team Eight, except for Sakura who looked like ten miles of bad road. She was complaining about not being able to look decent and clean up properly this morning. Kakashi was actually there early this time; evidently he took Grimes' word seriously. The only people that were missing were Tazuna and Grimes, but everyone had a good idea where Grimes was.

Thankfully they didn't have to wait too long for Grimes to show up. Tazuna was currently being dragged down the road with a fresh bottle of sake in his hand. Grimes took the bottle from Tazuna and gulped down the rest of its contents.

"No sake for you until we get to our destination," Grimes sated before throwing the bottle away.

"Awe, you're no fun," Tazuna grumbled.

"The last thing we need is for you to get killed because of your own stupidity,"

"Alright, alright,"

"Well, it seems we're all here. Does everybody have everything before we leave?" Kurenai said looking at the genin around her.

"We have all of our stuff sensei," Hinata replied without a single stutter.

"Excellent, then let's get moving,"

Just as they exited the gate, a loud cry came from behind them. Startled by the sudden outburst, Kurenai threw a kunai with breakneck speed at the source. There was a squelch as the kunai embedded itself into flesh. Everyone turned around and was met with a jaw dropping sight. In front of them was a creature with decaying skin, its eyes were missing, the arms, legs, and stomach was all bones.

"Holy shit, what the hell is that?!" Kiba shouted in shock.

"Calm down, it's just a ghoul. Stay here for a second," Grimes replied walking to the ghoul.

Grimes noticed it had an armband with the Ebon Blade symbol on it. The ghoul looked at him and gave a toothy grin, or it would have if its jaw didn't fall to the ground. He bent down and picked up the jaw before handing it back. Grimes sweat dropped as the ghoul clamped the jaw back to its mouth. The ghoul reached into a side pouch and handed Grimes a sealed envelope. It gave a cackle and disappeared into the ground.

"What does it say?" Gaz asked walking over to him.

"I'm opening it right now, hang on a second," Grimes replied opening the envelope.

Grimes read through the letter and his expression turned serious. He put the letter in his pocket before turning around to the others.

"Something came up, I need to head to the Ebon Hold for a meeting with Darion, I'll be back later," Grimes spoke with purple aura glowing on his hands.

The aura vanished and a purple archway with a dragon's skull perched at the top appeared. Grimes entered the portal and the portal dissipated quickly. Gaz and Mac exchanged a look before shrugging it off. Naruto, however, had a feeling something bad had happened. Every time he saw Grimes with that grim expression something bad had always happened.

"Ha, that jounin is a coward," Sasuke scoffed.

"You want to repeat that you asshole?" Gaz hissed as he got into the Uchiha's face.

"That's enough, we need to get moving now," Kakashi interjected turning a page in his book.

Gaz grunted in reply and walked back over to Mac and Naruto. The two teams continued down the road towards their destination.

* * *

A couple of hours past since the two teams left Konoha, and Grimes still hadn't returned. Apparently it must be a long meeting of some sort that kept Grimes from coming back. Naruto was wondering what his brother was up to, but something caught his eye. A small puddle was on the left side of the road. He narrowed his eyes at this and nudged Gaz with his elbow.

"What's wrong?" Gaz asked.

"Look to your left," Naruto replied.

Gaz did as he was told and noticed a puddle. His eyes also narrowed and he pointed this out to Mac. The three Death Knights had their hands ready to summon their weapons for the skirmish to come.

_"Hmm, it seems Naruto, Gaz and Mac have spotted the problem,"_ Kurenai mused.

While she was pleased to see that the three were on top of things, she was disappointed that her team didn't pay the puddle a second glance. Kurenai looked at Kakashi and noticed that he had walked ahead of the group, clearly ready to spring the trap. No sooner had Kakashi passed the puddle two enemies sprung from the water and wrapped their chains around him.

"What the…" Kakashi began but was ripped apart.

"One down," said the one on the right.

"Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura shrieked in terror.

Sasuke and Shino remained impassive, Sakura and Kiba were shaking, Hinata was startled but managed to pull out a kunai, and the Death Knights were grinning. The two vanished and had their chain around Kurenai. Kurenai quickly used Kawarimi and hid in the trees with Kakashi.

"How do you think they will do?" Kakashi asked not looking up from his book.

"I have confidence in them, but let's see what happens," Kurenai replied.

Meanwhile in the skirmish, the two teams stood in front of the two enemy shinobi that 'killed' both Kakashi and Kurenai. Sakura and Kiba were shaking, Sasuke and Shino looked impassive, Hinata pulled out a kunai and got in front of Tazuna, and the Death Knights stood there gathering up runic power. The two enemy shinobi turned and dashed at Tazuna and Hinata. Hinata stood at the ready, prepared to fight and defend the client.

"Time to die!" the right one shouted.

"Three down-," the left one began but was cut off.

The two shinobi found themselves being pulled towards the Death Knights. Gaz quickly slashed at the two shinobi with a plague strike. There was a tearing sound as the blade ripped through their clothes. Mac charged at the left one and casted an **Icy Touch** causing the shinobi to slow down. Naruto used **Chains of Ice** to immobilize the two rogue nin and slowly walked towards them, blade drawn. Gaz slashed at the right one with another **Plague Strike**, this time drawing blood. The shinobi screamed in pain and ran at Gaz with the intent to kill. Mac quickly raised his hand and used **Blood Boil**. Just as the shinobi was on Gaz, he fell to the ground twitching and writhing in agony.

Shino quickly sent his bugs to eat out the chakra of the two rogue nin to subdue them. Sasuke then leapt at the two and knocked them out with two quick punches. The two rogue nin fell to the ground in a heap just as Kakashi and Kurenai appeared.

"Good job, team!" Kakashi said with his eye smile.

"Very well done," Kurenai said with a nod.

After tying up the two unconscious shinobi, Kakashi and Kurenai rounded on Tazuna. Tazuna looked away and became very interested with a nearby caterpillar.

"Tazuna-san, would you mind telling us why those two rogue nin were after you?" Kakashi asked with a glare.

"They must just be some random bandits," Tazuna replied.

"Those are the Demon Brothers, both C-Ranked missing nin, why were they after you?" Naruto asked walking to Tazuna.

"I don't know,"

"You're hiding something, if you don't tell us now; we'll drop this mission and head back!" Gaz shouted.

"All right, all right, I'll tell you," Tazuna quickly surrendered.

Tazuna told them the story about the tyrant Gato that arrived at the Land of Waves a few years back. Apparently Gato wanted to stop trade from the Land of Waves so he could receive all the income. The bridge Tazuna was to build was to allow trade once more to free them from Gato's tyranny. Gato must have found out about the bridge being built, so he sent missing nin after him to end his life thus ending the hope of the bridge being built.

"Well, I'll admit that's a sad story indeed Tazuna," Kakashi spoke.

"I know, but I'm begging you. Please, I'm sorry I lied about the mission, but our village was only able to gather enough money for a C-Ranked mission. We'll give you the remainder of the money when the bridge is finished," Tazuna said bowing his head.

"Tazuna, I understand where you are coming from, but this is at least an A-Ranked mission, not even two genin teams should be on this, this is a job for a jounin or ANBU,"

"I'm begging you on hand and knee here, damn-it! Please if you don't help us, this bridge will never be built!" Tazuna pleaded.

"Kakashi-sensei," Naruto spoke up.

"What is it, Naruto?" Kakashi asked looking at the blond.

"If you want to, you can take Sasuke and Sakura along with Team Eight back to Konoha. Gaz, Mac and I can continue this mission alone until Grimes comes back,"

"I can't do that, Naruto. You need to have a jounin with you until you become a chunin for a solo mission,"

"I say we continue, I want to test my abilities some more," Sasuke stated.

"Yeah!" Sakura said, agreeing with Sasuke.

Kakashi stayed silent for a moment before looking at Kurenai. He walked over to her and began to ask what they should do. They came to the conclusion with a show of hands.

"Okay, raise your hands if you want to continue this mission," Kakashi ordered.

All of them raised their hands; this made Kakashi proud but worried. He, Kurenai and Grimes were easily jounin level, but down one jounin can be a problem. If they ran into a stronger missing nin, he would have the advantage of knowing what to expect.

"Very well, it looks like it's you lucky day, Tazuna-san. We'll continue with this mission," Kakashi said opening up his book again.

"Thank you, thank you very much," Tazuna bowed.

The group continued down the road, not noticing a shaded figure hiding in the shadows of the trees. The man chuckled before shunshining away in a swirl of leaves.

* * *

Meanwhile at the Ebon Hold, Grimes was sitting against a wall smoking a cigarette. Darion was in a meeting so he thought he would kill some time. He looked at the other Death Knights that walked by. All of them saluted him or gave a small wave of recognition. Grimes puffed out some smoke before putting the cigarette back in his mouth. Some footsteps came from his left and he saw two Death Knights sit down by him.

"Want some coffee, Sergeant Grimes?" one asked.

"Nah, I'm good," Grimes replied.

"Hey, Darion's ready to talk to you now Sarge." the other spoke.

Grimes nodded and stood up before beginning to walk to Darion's office. He flicked his cigarette off the railing of the necropolis watching it as it disappeared beneath the clouds. Grimes found himself standing outside Darion's office. He noticed a covered corpse of a fallen Death Knight on a nearby table. He shrugged it off and gave a knock to make his presence known to Darion.

"Enter," Darion called.

Grimes entered Darion's office. It was fairly clean, minus the paperwork on his desk which seemed to be eight feet tall. Darion was looking down at his desk lost in thought when Grimes stood in front of him.

"Everything okay, who's that out there?" Grimes asked, indicating to the body outside Darion's office.

Darion looked up at him with tired eyes and shook his head. He sighed before looking down at his desk again.

"It's Captain McCreary, Grimes." Darion replied.

Grimes' eyes widened in shock at the news that hit him. Captain McCreary was one of the strongest Death Knights that served the Ebon Blade. Grimes had served under him for part of the Icecrown Campaign. Captain McCreary was the best leader on the battlefield and he always got the job done. But now, he was lying on a cold table, dead.

"What, how-what?!" Grimes sputtered looking back from McCreary's corpse to Darion.

"You might as well take a seat Grimes," Darion said pointing to the chair in front of his desk.

"So what happened, Darion?" Darion looked up at Grimes and took a deep breath.

"It happened early this morning. I was with McCreary leading an assault on a Death Knight bunker that was hidden in Mord'Rethar **(1)**." Darion began.

_/Flashback/_

_Darion was killing an abomination that entered the perimeter they set up in defense. Some men from the Ebon Blade and Argent Crusade lay dead and dying. Darion, McCreary and twenty others were all that remained standing at the moment._

_One soldier from the Argent Crusade was a gnome trying to use the communicator to contact the Skybreaker **(2)** for an airstrike._

_"There's scourge everywhere, Phoenix-One, we need support now Goddamn-it!" the gnome yelled into the radio. He flinched as a goblin bomb detonated overhead crumbling trees._

_"Say again, over!" the voice called back from the radio._

_"This is Bravo Six, there's scourge everywhere! We need support now! We got ghouls, skeletons, abominations, every Goddamn thing coming at us!"_

_"Conrad! I don't give a shit, what bullshit they're giving you! Whatever breath you have left, you use it to scream into that Goddamn communicator!" McCreary shouted over the bombs. "And keep your head down!" Conrad nodded and went back to screaming into the radio._

_"This is Bravo Six, can anybody hear me?!" Conrad roared._

_"Conrad, keep your Goddamn head down!" McCreary barked._

_There was another explosion as a cannonball exploded above them blasting McCreary to his back. He sat up and noticed Conrad lying on the ground with his forehead split wide open. McCreary tried to stand up but found it impossible to move due to fact his leg was broken. There was a loud roar coming from his front and he looked up to see an abomination. McCreary had no time to move and was instantly decapitated from the abominations axe._

_/Flashback End/_

"So did you guys manage to liberate that bunker after McCreary went down?" Grimes asked.

"Yes we did, we made that into a new station for nearby soldiers," Darion replied taking a swig of whisky.

"Can I have some of that?"

Darion handed Grimes the hipflask of whisky and he gulped down the remaining contents in it. He handed it back to Darion who filled it up again with a whisky bottle from under his desk.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but since McCreary was the Captain of the Death Knights of his regiment here, do we need a replacement?" Grimes asked.

"Yes we do, that's why I called you here Grimes," Darion said with a smirk.

"So who's going to be the new Captain?"

"You are,"

The two sat in silence for a moment before Grimes shook his head. He began to chuckle and pointed at Darion.

"You, you had me there, nice joke Darion!" Grimes said with another chuckle.

"I'm not joking, congratulations Captain Wallcroft," Darion said with a straight face. He held out his hand and Grimes shook it.

"So does this mean I got to be back here to lead Frost Company?"

"No not yet, Frost Company was pulled off the line because of all the casualties, they won't be back out there for another two years since we need more recruits to be trained properly. In the meantime you are the new Captain so I expect you to inform Naruto, Gaz and Mac about McCreary. Since you got promoted I'll need to promote them to higher positions to keep the regiment strong,"

"Very well Darion, I'll tell them," Grimes said with a bow before vanishing into the portal by the wall.

* * *

Back with Teams Seven and Eight, things were going smoothly. They hadn't met any enemies since the Demon Brothers three hours ago. They eventually came to a dock that had a boat prepared for transferring them across to the Wave Country. Kurenai decided her team would catch up with them later since the boat could only hold one team at a time. Team Seven bid them goodbye and boarded the boat before sailing into the mist.

Gaz noticed a large structure in the mist ahead of them and squinted. He couldn't tell what it was very clearly, but it was long and tall. Mac and Naruto noticed this and voiced their concern.

"Zano, what are you looking at?" Mac asked sitting down by him.

"I'm looking at the giant structure in the mist. What is it?" Gaz replied pointing to the large silhouette.

"That's the bridge I'm supposed to finish," Tazuna said looking at it as they sailed under it.

"This thing is huge!" Sakura said in awe.

The boat docked about ten minutes after passing the bridge. Team Seven bid goodbye to the man who finished turning his boat around and heading back into the mist.

"Good luck, you'll need it!" the man called before vanishing into the fog.

Team Seven got in a surrounding formation around Tazuna to protect him from all sides. It was quiet, almost too quiet. Gaz and Mac's eyes were scanning the areas sharply as they continue to Tazuna's house. Sakura was talking to Sasuke who was ignoring her and just kept walking. Naruto and Kakashi had their senses increased to detect anything out of place. Naruto then felt a presence of someone's chakra in the bush to his right. In a fraction of a second he launched a kunai into the bush and it made a thump as it hit the tree.

"Naruto, you baka! Don't scare us like that!" Sakura shrieked.

Gaz hurried over to the bush and pulled out a terrified rabbit. His eyes narrowed as he saw the rabbit's fur. It was summer, it shoud be brown, but it was white.

_"What the hell? Rabbit fur is brown in the summer, that means…"_ Gaz thought.

"Look what you almost did to that poor bunny!" Sakura yelled wrenching the rabbit out of Gaz's arms.

"Sakura, what color is a rabbit's fur in the summer?" Mac asked with a glare.

"Brown!" Sakura spat back.

"So what color is the rabbit's fur that you're holding?"

"White, wait a minute, white?"

"That means the rabbit was raised indoors, we're being followed!" Kakashi stated. No sooner had he said that, his senses went haywire as he sensed something large and heavy coming at them from behind.

"Get down!" Kakashi barked.

Everyone hit the floor and felt their hair rustle as the object flew over them. The weapon was a giant two handed sword and it embedded itself into a nearby tree. A ninja appeared on the hilt of the blade and looked down at them. He was wearing tape around his mouth and had white camouflage pants, he had a hitai-ate with a slashed mist symbol on his forehead too.

"Just away from the bridge builder and go about your business, I have no quarrel with you," the nin spoke.

"Momochi Zabuza, Demon of the Mist," Kakashi addressed, getting to his feet.

"Hatake-Kakashi, the Copy Ninja," Zabuza said looking down at him.

"Copy Ninja?" Sasuke asked in confusion.

"So are you going to show me your Sharingan, Kakashi?"

_"Sharingan?!"_ Sasuke thought with shock.

"Well, I want to make this quick, give me the bridge builder and maybe I'll spare your lives," Zabuza stated jumping to the ground, sword in hand.

"Get into formation!" Kakashi ordered.

Team Seven drew their weapons and got into a defensive position around Tazuna. Zabuza chuckled at this and began to release his killing intent. The killing intent began to affect Sakura and Sasuke. Sasuke brought the kunai to his throat, ready to kill himself to escape the fear. Naruto, Gaz and Mac remained unfazed and glared at Zabuza.

"Sasuke, calm down, I will not allow any of my students to die," Kakashi spoke turning to them with his eye smile, "trust me."

"Don't give them false hope Kakashi, they should be able to fend for themselves!" Zabuza taunted going through handsigns. A thick fog surrounded the area making it almost impossible to see one another.

"Oh shit, this is not good," Mac muttered.

"Liver, spine, jugular vein, kidney," Zabuza chanted, "Where would you like to be hit?"

"There!" Naruto shouted, swinging his sword behind him to meet Zabuza's blade.

"Not bad kid," Zabuza said before kicking Naruto in the stomach sending him rolling down the road.

"Naruto!" Gaz and Mac called as they saw their friend come to a stop.

"You bastard!" Gaz shouted, firing a **Death Coil** at Zabuza.

"What the hell!?" Zabuza yelled in surprise. He ducked and charged at Gaz who kept sending **Death Coils** at him one after the next. Just as Zabuza closed the gap, Mac threw a punch across Zabuza's face causing him to melt to water.

"Mizu-bunshin!" Naruto called out.

"Die!" Zabuza roared as he came down on Tazuna.

"Shit!" Gaz yelled, firing a **Death Coil** at Zabuza.

The **Death Coil** hit Zabuza directly in his ribs sending him back towards the trees. Zabuza landed on his feet and glared angrily at Gaz. Before he could run at Gaz, he was intercepted by Kakashi. Kakashi began attacking him with a kunai and forcing him back. What Kakashi failed to realize was the puddle he was standing in.

"Something's wrong, this water seems dense…shit!" Kakashi swore, just as he was encased in a prison of water. Zabuza chuckled while Kakashi glared in anger.

"Damn-it!" Kakashi hissed, "Run get out of here!" Kakashi yelled to the genin.

"We can't leave you behind," Naruto replied.

"Just go, you idiot!" Kakashi yelled, "He's out of your league, I'll be fine just go!"

"Those who quit are trash, but those who abandon their friends are worse than trash!" Mac retorted.

"Sakura, Sasuke, guard Tazuna!" Naruto ordered, "Mac, Gaz, let's show this guy what we're made of!"

Gaz and Mac stood on either side of Naruto, ready to attack. Zabuza smirked and made a handsign. There were multiple Mizu-Bunshins of Zabuza in front of them. Mac dashed at a group of Mizu-Bunshins and made two bunshins of himself. He waited for a few seconds before unleashing his attack.

"**Storm of the Dancing Rune Weapon!**" **(3)** Mac roared. Immediately, three swords appeared in mid air around Mac and his clones. They attacked the Mizu-Bunshins, each swing the sword in the air would hack, slash or stab the Mizu-Bunshins destroying them.

Gaz summoned his ghoul and charged at the next wave of Mizu-Bunshins. His ghoul swiped at two Mizu-Bunshins, stunning them. Gaz slammed his palms into the ground causing a circle of seals to appear on the ground.

"**Death and Decay!**" Gaz yelled.

The Mizu-Bunshins began to slowly shrink and melt into puddles of water. Zabuza watched with wide eyes, he had seriously underestimated these genin. Naruto ran at the three Mizu-Bunshins guarding Zabuza and held out his hand.

"**Hungering Cold!**" Naruto muttered.

The three Mizu-Bunshins were frozen in a wall of ice. Naruto then slashed and stabbed the blocks of ice effectively destroying the Mizu-Bunshins. Zabuza was now defenseless and he was being charged by the three genin and the ghoul. He growled in anger and held up his hand, causing the puddle at his feet to ripple violently.

"**Suiton: Suiryuudan no Jutsu!**" Zabuza hissed.

Not having any time to dodge, the three genin took the direct hit from the giant water dragon that shot from the puddle. The three of them were slammed into the trees and fell to the ground with a thud. Mac coughed up some blood and fell unconscious. Gaz was too dazed to get back up. He looked at his ghoul and noticed it was looking at him with worry. The ghoul then vanished and Gaz crawled back up against the tree. Naruto was trying to stand but couldn't, he felt excruciating pain in his leg when he tried.

"Now die you little pests!" Zabuza yelled forming another handsign, "**Mizurappa!**" A tidal wave of water appeared from the puddle and was about to drown them. Just as they braced for their deaths, they heard a cry of.

"**Hungering Cold!**"

Naruto and Gaz opened their eyes to see the tidal wave of water frozen in place. They looked for the source and saw Grimes standing in front of them holding his Greatsword. He looked back at them and grinned.

"Looks like I got here just in time," Grimes said, turning back to Zabuza.

"Who the hell are you?" Zabuza asked through gritted teeth.

"Your worst nightmare," Grimes replied.

He shunshined and appeared behind Zabuza swinging his sword down at him. Zabuza released his arm from the prison holding Kakashi causing it to dissipate. Kakashi shunshined over to Naruto, Mac and Gaz summoning bunshins to carry them back to Tazuna.

"I'm going to kill you!" Zabuza roared in rage forming the handsign for the **Suiryuudan no Jutsu**.

"**Mind Freeze!**" Grimes called holding his palm out at Zabuza.

Zabuza immediately stopped the jutsu and his hand fell to his side. He glared up at the newcomer with hate.

"What the hell did you do?!" Zabuza yelled.

"I forced you to stop the jutsu," Grimes replied and fired a **Death Coil** at him.

Zabuza leapt out of the way and watched as the tree behind him exploded into splinters. His eyes widened in shock and noticed it was the same attack that the brat used earlier, but much stronger. He gripped his blade and charged at Grimes.

"Let's see how you do in kenjutsu!" Zabuza said with a malicious grin.

Zabuza brought down his sword for a crush. Grimes parried the attack with ease and threw a roundhouse kick to Zabuza's side. Zabuza caught it with his hand and pushed Grimes back. Grimes held out his hand and focused some runic power into his palm

"**Hyouton Teppoudama!**" **(4)** Grimes called.

Chunks of ice fired from the palm of his hand. Zabuza cut, slashed, ducked and blocked the barrage of ice bullets. He was astounded and immediately began to wonder if there was more than one ice user after all.

_"Is this guy like, Haku?"_ Zabuza thought to himself.

While he was thinking about his opponent before him, he was hit in the chest by a chunk of ice. Zabuza was slammed into the tree and fell to his knees. That attack was very strong, it felt like he landed on a brick wall. Zabuza growled and fired a **Suiryuudan** at Grimes. Grimes quickly made a bunshin and had it throw him over the water dragon. He brought his blade down and it slashed against Zabuza's sword causing it to numb his arms.

Grimes felt his arms go numb and he cursed himself. Zabuza took the chance and slashed down on Grimes. Grimes didn't have time for a block so he channeled his runic power into his breastplate.

_"**Unbreakable Armor**,"_ Grimes thought with a smirk.

The sword slammed into his armor causing it to recoil back. Zabuza's eyes widened at the man before him. He survived the attack and wasn't even harmed.

"What the hell is going on?!" Zabuza yelled. He sent a punch at the man and it connected with his face. Grimes stumbled back from the blow slammed his palm on the ground forming a red circle with symbols.

"**Death and Decay!**" Zabuza felt agonizing pain shoot through his body. He also saw this technique from the same brat earlier which melted his clones. Zabuza jumped out of the circle and slashed at Grimes again. Grimes grunted in pain as the slash cut through his shoulder and bicep.

Sasuke and Sakura were watching the fight take place. They were in awe at the power displayed in front of them. Sasuke was seething at the power that Grimes, Naruto, Mac and Gaz had. He vowed to make Grimes teach him those abilities. Kakashi noticed that Grimes was stuck and jumped in beside him to help.

"Time to finish this, Zabuza," Kakashi said lifting his headband to expose his Sharingan eye.

"I was wondering when you'd-," was all the Zabuza managed to say before three senbon needles were embedded in his neck. A hunter-nin with a Kirigakure mask appeared next to Zabuza's corpse.

"My apologies for taking your kill, I've been trying to track this guy down for weeks," he said picking up Zabuza's corpse, "I'll take his body back to Kirigakure, collect my bounty and be on my way,"

The hunter-nin shunshined away, taking Zabuza's corpse with him. Grimes narrowed his eyes at this and quickly figured out the problem.

_"Clever bastard,"_ Grimes mused.

"You alright?" Kakashi asked.

"I'm fine, how are the others?" Grimes replied.

"We're okay!" Naruto called.

Barking was heard in the distance with some footsteps following behind it. Kakashi picked up four chakra signatures. He sighed mentally at the thought of Team Eight showing up just as Zabuza was taken away. Seconds later, Team Eight appeared and noticed the condition Team Seven was in.

"What the hell happened to you guys?" Kiba asked with a smirk.

"Fuck off, fleabag," Gaz retorted.

"What'd you say?"

"Knock it off! Let's all just calm down and take a breather!" Grimes snapped.

"What happened to you guys? You look pretty disheveled," Kurenai stated looking at them.

"We were being followed by Zabuza," Kakashi replied.

"What?!" Kurenai said with shock.

"Yeah, we were, Sasuke-kun kicked his ass!" Sakura cheered.

"No he didn't, Gaz, Mac and Naruto did," Tazuna corrected.

"Ha, yeah right, I'm pretty sure Kakashi did all the work!" Kiba taunted.

"No, he's right Kiba. Naruto, Mac and Gaz held him off while Sasuke and Sakura defended Tazuna," Kakashi said, looking embarrassed at admitting that.

"We would have lost but Grimes came in and saved us at the last second," Naruto said grinning broadly.

"Well, that's my job, I'm supposed to guide and protect you lot, aren't I?" Grimes asked smirking.

"That aside, does that mean Zabuza is dead?" Kurenai asked looking at Grimes.

"No, he's not," Grimes replied looking down.

"What do you mean; he got taken away by that hunter-nin!" Sakura shouted

"Exactly, Sakura, he _**took**_ him away, they're supposed to dispose of the body on the scene!" Grimes said emphasizing the word took.

"So, what now?" Mac asked.

"We need to get to Tazuna's house, we'll figure out where to go from there," Kakashi replied.

"I agree, now Tazuna, if you can direct us to your dwelling we can get comfortable and think on our plan," Kurenai concurred.

"Don't need to tell me twice, my house is about two more miles down the road here," Tazuna said with a grin.

The group continued their walk down the road towards Tazuna's house. Little did they know, their troubles were only just beginning.

* * *

**Well, that's the chapter, I'm really sorry this came out late guys plz don't hate me but personal matters come first. Read and Review as always, I'll try to get the next chapter up as soon as I can.**

**New OCs:**

**Captain McCreary: Status-Deceased. Was captain for Frost Company (A/N: The squad of elite Death Knights I made up) Led the Deathknights through the first part of the Icecrown Campaign.**

**1. Mord'Rethar- A gate in Icecrown guarded by a substantial amount of scourge. It is located north west of Crusaders Point, which was mentioned in chapter 4. The Argent Dawn and the Ebon Blade took control of the gate and made a new base inside it.**

**2. Skybreaker-A flying ship for the Alliance Faction in Icecrown. Armed with mounted canons and marines, it is both deadly in the air and even more so with its troops. **

**3. (Storm of the Dancing Rune Weapon) (Own Creation) I know it sounds lame but I thought it was cool in my mind. Death Knights in blood spec have the ability Dancing Rune Weapon which summons a copy of the Death Knights current weapon and attacks the enemy whenever the Death Knight attacks but for 50% damage. Mac uses 2 clones and himself so that's six swords, one sword for each and one copy for each whenever it swings for attacks, it is a storm of blood.**

**4. (Hyouton Teppoudama) (Own Creation) Originally thought of it as a multiple ranged shot attack of Icy Touch but I decided to make it more interesting and call it the 'Ice Bullet' which is chunks of ice created from Icy Touch and launched at the foe, really powerful if it meets the mark.**


	9. Recon and a Proposition

**Yo, CaptainPrice here with another update for 'Shinobi of the Ebon Blade'. Now I know a lot of you are probably bat shit pissed about this being late but my life is going to be taking a turn into the next stage. I'm talking of course about College and my personal life. Now I am very sorry about the late update but I hope this 18 page chapter is enough to keep you entertained till the next update. Now I will try to update the story every Friday like Kishimoto does for the next Naruto chapter in the Manga. If it's not up next Friday it will be up the following Friday, this I promise you. I plan to finish 'Shinobi of the Ebon Blade and Son of a Hokage' before the end of summer. I just got done with finals and am currently on Spring Break for the next week, so I am starting my last term of my senior year in high school the following week. Now after this long annoying disclaimer it's time to get to what you've been waiting for, I give you chapter 9!**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Naruto or WoW, I own the OC's the story and the idea of the story!**

**_Bold-Inner Sakura/ Kyuubi_**

_**Bold Italic-Kyuubi and Naruto communicating**_

_Italic- Thoughts/Letters/Flashbacks_

* * *

Teams seven, eight and Tazuna were slowly walking down the dirt road. The sun was setting, causing them to hurry to some shelter. At long last, the group spotted a small two story house about one hundred yards away.

"There's my house!" Tazuna stated pointing to the shack.

They continued moving, starting to move faster to get to the house ahead of them. As they stopped at the front door, they could smell some delicious food cooking. Tazuna gave a knock on the door and there were some footsteps coming toward it. The door creaked open revealing a long raven haired woman.

"Father you're home!" the woman said with glee, hugging Tazuna.

"Yep! I'm in one piece thanks to these super awesome ninja here!" Tazuna replied indicating the shinobi behind him.

The raven haired woman looked at the group behind her father and bowed. She noticed the brown haired man in front of them and blushed slightly. Kurenai caught the glance the woman sent to Grimes and felt a little angry at seeing the blush.

"Please, come in. You must be hungry from the long journey here," the woman said standing aside.

The group entered the house and entered the kitchen to smell the appetizing food in front of them. They sat down around the table and grabbed a plate for some dinner. Grimes had his hands folded in front of his mouth and he looked lost in thought about something. Naruto noticed this and decided to voice his concern.

"Grimes, what's up?" he asked looking at his brother.

"I need to talk to you three for a minute about something," Grimes said standing up.

"Then let us hear it too!" Sasuke demanded.

"Sasuke, it doesn't concern you, it only involves the four of us," Grimes said calmly.

"They're our teammates; we have a right to know what you need to say!" Sakura yelled.

"Oh, now you refer to us as your teammates? I think I'm going to cry," Gaz said with sarcasm.

"I think they have a point Grimes," Kakashi began, "we are all a team so whatever you need to say, you can tell us."

"It's classified towards you three," Grimes replied.

"I'm an Uchiha and I order you to-," Sasuke began but suddenly felt heavy killing intent hit him.

"What did I tell you about commanding someone that's a higher rank than you Uchiha?" Grimes sneered.

* * *

Naruto, Mac and Gaz stood up and followed Grimes out of the kitchen. The four of them walked to the study and closed the door behind them. Grimes put his palm on the door and it glowed red briefly, showing the sound block was up.

"So what happened after I left this morning?" Grimes asked

"After you left we continued to escort Tazuna here," Mac replied.

"About half an hour after you left, we were attacked by two chunin level missing nin," Naruto said leaning against the desk.

"After we took care of them, we found out Tazuna was hiding the truth about the rank of the mission, which is now A-ranked," Gaz finished.

"And that idiot didn't have you guys head back to Konoha?" Grimes asked with barely contained rage.

"Well, we kind of pushed him to let us continue the mission," Gaz corrected.

"Regardless of that, the idiot still gave into your wishes and endangered you all!" Grimes snapped, "He should have known better that there would be higher level shinobi ahead!"

"Is there anything else that you haven't told me?"

"Well, as it turns out the reason why the mission is A-ranked is because the country here is being controlled by the tyrant Gato, and apparently he has hundreds of bandits and some shinobi working for him," Naruto informed.

"I see, well we might as well stay and finish this mission which we will have a debriefing about with the rest of the so called team," Grimes said crossing his arms, "but now the reason why I wanted to talk to you three is because of the letter I got from Darion today,"

"What did it say?" Gaz asked.

"Well, you three are aware of your basic training instructor McCreary, right?" Grimes inquired.

"What about him?"

"He got killed at Mord'Rethar early this morning,"

"What?" Mac asked in surprise.

"He was decapitated by an abomination while he was leading a group to take out a bunker of Death Knights in Mord'Rethar,"

"But what does that have to do with us exactly?" Gaz asked.

"Well, Darion said that he would need someone to take McCreary's place within the next two years because he wants to rebuild Frost Company after losing the majority of them in Icecrown this past year,"

"So who's going to take McCreary's place then?" Mac asked.

"Darion decided to promote me to captain of Frost Company," Grimes replied.

"Well, congrats on the promotion, but that still doesn't answer my question," Gaz said with a smirk.

"Bottom-line, you guys are going to be promoted to keep Frost Company strong when we eventually go back to Icecrown,"

"Sweet," Mac said standing up, "do you happen to know what our ranks are?"

"No, not yet, Darion will probably promote you himself later, right now he's got more pressing matters," Grimes informed.

"Alright, guess we should go get a debriefing with the others, eh?" Gaz asked.

"Yes we should," Grimes said walking to the door before stopping, "By the way; you guys are going to have hardcore training for persuading Kakashi to continue the mission."

"Awe man, you're going to kill us," Gaz groaned.

* * *

The four of them exited the study and walked back into the kitchen to see their comrades eating their dinner. They sat down and Tsunami brought them the dinner she had cooked as thanks. As they sat eating dinner, Grimes glanced at the members of his team and began to evaluate on what they needed to build in strength.

_"Let's see here, Naruto has ninjutsu, kenjutsu and necromancy in his arsenal. Mac and Gaz have learned the standard bunshin and chakra exercises along with their necromancy. They will need to learn some more ninjutsu before we face Zabuza again, even if it's not strong, it will help them. Sasuke is being taught everything by Kakashi so he's not much of an issue, but he needs to work on chakra control. Sakura, well, I'll try to teach her some genjutsu since it seems to be her area of strength, other than that she's pretty much a useless liability right now." _

Kakashi cleared his throat to gather everyone's attention. When he had all of them looking at him he began to speak.

"Alright, as you all know, Zabuza isn't dead. That hunter-nin that we came across is in league with him so we can expect he'll be back," Kakashi began.

"When do you think he'll be back?" Kurenai asked.

"From the damage that Grimes inflicted on him, I would guess about a week at the most,"

"What do you propose we do while we wait for him?" Shino asked looking at Grimes.

"I believe we should do some training while we wait for the rematch to come. The training will be taught by each of us. We will give each of you training in chakra control for one, and separate training in your fields of strength," Grimes replied.

"But how do we know our strengths?" Sakura asked.

"I got some elemental affinity cards that will determine your affinity when you pump your chakra into it," Kakashi stated.

"Well that covers the training portion, but now we need to move on with the mission plan," Kurenai said folding her arms.

"Well, we just need to protect Tazuna-san, right?" Sakura asked.

"No Sakura-san, if Gato has control of this town, I think it's best we do recon to find out anything about him, hideouts, hired men and all that," Hinata stated.

"Don't be silly, we don't have to worry about that!" Sakura said with a smirk.

"No Sakura, Hinata's right. We must find out anything we can about Gato, so we are going to do recon to find out anything about him. I think the best way to do that is to send two of you into town a day and ask around about Gato then report back to us at the end of the day with everything you learned," Grimes said looking at the group.

"I agree," Kurenai said with a nod. Kurenai had to admit, Grimes did have the qualities of a leader. From what she had seen him do, she was sure he must've done some form of military work in his past.

"Grimes, just out of curiosity," Kurenai began catching everyone's attention, "what exactly did you do in the past? You seem to have done combat before and you lead your squad well."

"I can't exactly tell you everything since some of it is classified. But I can tell you that I was once a soldier for a small army known as the Argent Dawn. I made the rank of sergeant at age 14 and I had been in command of a small squad at the time," Grimes replied.

"What do you mean when you say once?" Shino inquired.

"We need to get some shut eye. Tomorrow, prepare to be sore as hell when the day is through," Grimes said changing the subject.

He got up and walked outside to leave the others to eat. Kiba growled in annoyance at Grimes not answering Shino's question. The dinner continued quietly, then, one by one each of them went to turn in for the night.

* * *

"What?!" Sakura shrieked causing everyone to wince at her voice.

"You heard me. Today we're going to do chakra control by climbing trees," Grimes replied with a smirk.

"How the hell does that help? We only need to use our hands!" Kiba stated.

"True…but this time it's different," Kakashi said turning to a tree.

He slowly began to walk to the tree, and then he began to walk up the tree. Each of the genin's eyes widened with the exception of Kurenai, Grimes and Naruto who already knew the exercise. Kakashi finally walked onto one of the branches and looked down at the group of them.

"This time, you will only use your chakra to help you stick to the tree with your feet," Kakashi called.

There were seven loud thumps as seven kunai landed by each of their feet. Kakashi landed on the ground gracefully and walked over to Kurenai and Grimes.

"Use the kunai to mark the tree when you feel your chakra fading away," Kakashi said looking at the group in front of him.

Each of the genin picked up a kunai and began to run up the trees. Grimes sat down at the base of one trees and watched as his students began to train. He put a cigarette in his mouth and lit it before smirking at seeing Kiba and Sasuke fall off their trees and land on their backs.

"I should tell you, the first two of you that make it to the top get to do the first recon today and get to skip training!" Grimes hollered.

"Well, that means I win!" Sakura replied as she was sitting on a tree branch high up.

"Not quite, Sakura!" Kakashi called pointing to the branches a few feet higher than her.

Up at the top were Naruto and Hinata, both of them beaming down at the others. Naruto gave his foxy grin and waved at Mac and Gaz who flipped him the bird. Hinata and Naruto jumped down from their branches and landed before the jounin in front of them.

"Well, since you two are doing the recon mission I guess I'll let you go ahead," Grimes said nodding at them, "Naruto, come here for a second."

Naruto walked over to Grimes and knelt down, "Yeah, what's up?" he asked.

"If you find anyone who works for Gato, subdue them and bring them to me,"

"Okay,"

Naruto stood up and hurried away to catch up with Hinata. Finally after an hour, Mac, Gaz and Shino managed to finish the tree climbing exercise, while Sasuke and Kiba were only able to get halfway up their trees.

"Nice job you three!" Kurenai said with a smile.

"Thank you, Kurenai-sensei!" they chorused.

"I demand you tell me how to do this!" Sasuke barked looking at the three teachers.

"No Sasuke, you figure it out on your own, this exercise is to help you manage your chakra and teach you to not exhaust it quickly," Kurenai replied.

"I'll stay and watch their process, why don't you two proceed with training Gaz, Mac and Shino," Kakashi stated looking over his book.

"Okay, come find us when those two figure it out," Grimes said standing up.

"Will do,"

Grimes turned to Mac and Gaz and gave them an evil grin. The grin they saw immediately made them pale and gulp. They looked at each other with big, 'oh shit' face expressions.

"Boys, we're going to do a stamina building exercise!" Grimes stated taking off his shirt, not seeing Kurenai blush at him.

_"Wow he's really muscular! No, bad Kurenai! You're trying to get to know him!"_ Kurenai thought to herself, regaining her cool.

"We're going to run up that hill and back, ten miles up, ten miles down," Grimes said stretching himself.

"We can't run that long!" Mac stated.

"Oh sure you can, that's why it's stamina building. Which is why I'm giving the two of you these soldier pills for more energy to run,"

This was going to be a long day for Mac and Gaz. Kurenai insisted that Shino go and run with them. He was about to deny, but he wanted to build his stamina so he agreed to go. After a few minutes of stretching the four of them began their run to the hill. If they did it properly, they would be back by nightfall. Kakashi told Sakura to go and do the exercise with Grimes. She protested at first but a glare from Kakashi forced her to run to catch up with them.

* * *

Back with Naruto and Hinata, things were going smoothly. The two of them walked towards the town side by side enjoying each other's company. After a short while they reached the town and were appalled at the sight of the village.

"Shit…I didn't think it was this bad," Naruto muttered as they entered the village.

"I could," Hinata replied, "think about it, if Gato has been taking their income this would obviously be the outcome,"

"Good point,"

They walked to the town square and saw a small caged area that had blood stained on the ground. In the center of the cage there was a cross with chains dangling from it. Obviously this must be a public execution for those who opposed Gato. Naruto took out a pencil and wrote down the site on his note paper.

"Well, that's one piece for the recon report," Hinata muttered looking over Naruto's shoulder.

"Yeah," Naruto replied.

They turned on walked towards the west side of town towards the market areas. One place that would lose the money as soon as it was gained would be the shops, so they decided that would be their next spot. When they reached the market they saw many civilians with dirty clothing, a lot of them were carrying a small pocket knife or a boot knife, possibly mugging and looting anything when they had the chance whether it was a store or another civilian.

"I'll check the shops on this side of the road, why don't you check the other?" Naruto said looking at Hinata.

"Alright, Naruto-kun, I'll come find you if I find anything," Hinata replied.

Naruto walked into the first store on his right. It seemed to be a small convenience store which was in rough condition. The stores windows appeared to have been shattered dozens of times, one wall was being completely reconstructed, many holes were in the floor and many displays had been smashed. Naruto looked at the prices of the food which looked old and moldy. Food went by the pound in this country according to the town's records, which were reasonable prices. However, the food by the pound here was now around two times the normal price.

"Sir?" Naruto asked walking to the clerk.

"Yes, how can I help you?" the man inquired.

"I was wondering about the prices on the food and was just curious if they were right,"

"Of course they're the right price… fuck who am I kidding? I have to raise the price in order to keep my store, even if the food is awful," the man continued with a choked sob.

"Mind telling me why?" Naruto asked.

"Gato is taking my money from the store that I make selling this garbage, I have to charge the price double for two reasons, one to pay Gato and to pay the ridiculous taxes he puts on the store leaving me broke. It makes it worse knowing the food I have sold so far has killed many people because of food poisoning,"

"I see. Who comes to get the money from you? Does Gato do it or does he send some cronies?"

"He sends cronies, there's supposed to be one coming this afternoon for the money. I don't know if my store will be open next week, he keeps having tax days every two days now and I just barely get by,"

"Alright, thank you for your time," Naruto said with a nod.

"Why are you asking me this, kid?" the man asked.

"Because I'm here to help your country, I'm guarding Tazuna so he can finish this bridge,"

"So you're a shinobi?"

"Yeah,"

"Sir, do you know the exact time that collector is coming in?" Naruto asked.

"In about ten minutes I believe," he replied.

"Alright, I'll be here to get him, just do what you normally do to distract him long enough so I can knock him out. I'll be right back,"

Naruto exited the store to look for Hinata. He noticed her walk out of a store across the street and hustled over to her.

"Hinata-chan, I think I just found a jackpot of information," Naruto said as he stopped.

"Really? What did you find?" Hinata asked with a raised eyebrow.

"The merchant in the store over there has a collector coming in that's going to take money from his store in about ten minutes. I managed to get him to distract the collector, we just got to knock him out and take him back to Grimes," Naruto informed.

"Okay, lead the way Naruto-kun," Hinata replied.

Naruto took Hinata's hand, much to her liking and pulled her towards the store. She blushed brightly, thanking kami that he wasn't looking at her. They entered the store Naruto was in just moments ago and saw the man counting the money he had made.

"Just get ready to keep your money sir, you're not gonna be paying anybody today," Naruto informed.

"Oh…okay, what do you want me to do?" the man asked.

"Just keep him focused on you long enough so we can knock him out,"

"Okay,"

Naruto led Hinata over to a corner of the store and hid out of sight from the entrance. A few minutes passed and they heard the door open followed by some heavy footsteps. Naruto glanced over a display and saw the collector. He wore heavy leather tunic and pants which were brown and grey in color, he was about two feet taller than Naruto. He was bald with an eye patch with a scar and his arm.

"Got the money? Gato will be very angry if you don't have it," the man sneered.

"Y-yeah, I got it right here," the clerk stuttered holding a small brown pouch of coins with a shaking hand.

Naruto crept up behind the collector quickly and quietly. The collector reached out for the sack of coins and picked them up. He gave a wicked grin showing his yellow teeth and pulled out a kunai.

"I don't think so, pumpkin," Naruto whispered into his ear before chopping him in the neck, knocking him out.

The collector fell to the floor out cold, dropping the sack of coins. Hinata hurried over and picked up the coins and handed them to the clerk. The clerk gave them an appreciative smile and nod.

"Thank-you," the clerk said with a nod.

"No problem," Naruto replied, summoning some clones to pick up the collector.

"Come on shit face, up you go," Naruto said picking up the collector.

They exited the shop carrying the collector which received them some curious glances. Hinata activated her Byakugan to keep a lookout for any surprise attacks or followers. It was time to get some answers.

* * *

Back with Grimes, Shino, Gaz, Mac and Sakura, all of them were finishing the run to the top of the hill. Well, Sakura stopped and began walking halfway up the mountain in exhaustion. Grimes made a clone to watch her to make sure she finished the run and not turn back. They four of them reached the top of the hill panting with sweat dripping down their faces.

"Nice job you three, our time was 1:06:45:96," Grimes said with a grin.

"Thanks sensei," Shino said trying to regain his breath.

"Why don't we take a break before going back down?"

"Sounds good," Mac said sitting against a rock.

All of them sat down on the hill letting the breeze cool them off from the long run. They heard a buzzing noise in the tree. The grasshoppers were giving the long whining call. Grimes noticed Shino seemed to move his hand as though to a slow rhythm to a song.

"Shino, what are you doing?" Grimes asked with curiosity.

"Listening to the song the grasshoppers are buzzing," he replied.

"You can understand that?" Mac asked with some surprise.

"I have a kikai clan of bugs in my body as a bloodline, I can understand insects and how they communicate,"

"Really, what are they saying now?" Gaz asked.

"Well, they're singing a song,"

"About what?" Grimes asked.

"Love,"

"Huh, can you improvise?"

Shino cleared his throat and began to translate the buzzing language.

"I'm at peace with you being with me, not leaving my side, holding me to the end of days,"

"To be honest Shino, I find myself to be curiously aroused by you," Mac joked, getting chuckles from all of them.

"You won't leave and I find myself at peace," Shino finished

"Kami, Shino, anymore songs like this, Zabuza won't have to kill me," Grimes said with a smirk, "I'm just gonna slit my own wrists." All of them laughed at that.

"You're a strange person, Shino," Gaz said with a grin.

"Well, let's get going, I'm hungry and I don't want to miss Tsunami-sans dinner," Grimes said standing up.

The four of them stood up, each putting a soldier pill in their mouth to boost their energy again. Grimes began to lead them down the hill starting with a slow jog. After ten minutes they see Sakura beginning to turn around with them.

"Oh no you don't, Sakura. You're going all the way up, you're not going to cheat," Grimes said pointing to the top of the hill.

"Awe come on!" Sakura groaned as she turned and began running up the hill again.

"That facial expression was priceless," Gaz said with a chuckle.

* * *

As night came, Grimes, Gaz, Shino and Mac made it back to Tsunami's house with a coat of sweat on them. As they entered they saw, Kakashi, Kiba, Sasuke and Kurenai inside with Tsunamie, Tazuna, and Tsunami's son, Inari, sitting at the table. Tsunami and Kurenai blushed looking at Grimes but shook it off and returned to their activities.

"So how was the stamina training?" Kakashi asked, looking up from his book.

"Very good actually, although Sakura really needs work," Grimes replied sitting down wiping his face with his towel.

"Why did she stop?"

"No, she slowed down and tried to come back with us when we were on our way back down. I know she only walked the entire time on that exercise, so I don't know what to do with her,"

"Where is she now?"

"I have a clone following her to make sure she finishes the run, if she doesn't I'm going to make sure she has a more tough training day tomorrow,"

"We're back!" Naruto called as he and Hinata entered the house with an unconscious man.

"Who's that?" Kurenai asked.

"I asked Naruto to bring back any of Gato's henchmen if they found one of them. And evidently they found one," Grimes replied.

"Why'd you have them do that?" Kiba asked.

"To gather information on Gato, so I'm going to use torture to get the answers we need,"

"Hah! You're probably a-," Kiba began but immediately felt Gaz's hand on his mouth.

"I really don't think that's a great idea to insult his torturing skills, he can probably give those interrogators in Konoha a run for their money," Gaz said with a glare.

"Kiba, you really need to think before you open that mouth of yours," Kurenai lectured.

"Whatever," Kiba muttered.

The door to the house opened and closed revealing an exhausted Sakura. Grimes' eyes narrowed as he noticed no sweat on her face or clothes. He dispelled his clone that was following her, receiving its memories. He sighed as he looked at Sakura with disappointment.

"How'd it go Sakura?" Kakashi asked.

"I'm so tired," Sakura said slumping onto the table resting her head.

"Sakura, tomorrow I'm doing some private training with you whether you like it or not. Be ready to work very hard," Grimes said sending her a glare.

"W-what, why?" Sakura asked with some surprise.

"You didn't do any stamina building, you walked the entire time. I had a clone following you to make sure you did it, obviously you don't take this seriously,"

Sakura didn't say anything, she just lowered her head in embarrassment. She thought that if Grimes was gone and she waited long enough she wouldn't have had to run. Obviously he thought she would try it and managed to fool her.

"Well, I'm sure you all are hungry, so dig in!" Tsunami said with a grin.

She set some turkey, veggies, ramen and some alcohol. She took pride in her work when she noticed all of the boys drooling in awe of the food.

"Tsunami-san, we can't drink alcohol, we're too young," Sakura said with a small frown.

"Bah, what's a little liquor going to do?" She asked with a grin sitting down beside Grimes and Tazuna.

"I love the way you think," Grimes said pouring himself some whiskey. Tsunami grinned and thanked him for the compliment.

As they sat and enjoyed their meal, Gaz noticed Inari looking at all of them with irritation and anger. He raised an eyebrow at this and wondered what Inari might say if he were to open his mouth.

"Well, thanks for the delicious meal Tsunami-san," Grimes said standing up and walking to the unconscious collector. "Kurenai, Kakashi, come upstairs to help with the interrogation when you're done eating,"

When Grimes went upstairs and out of sight, that's when Inari began to make himself known. He began to shake in barely controlled anger, his clenched fists shaking with stress.

"Why do you do it?!" He muttered.

"Huh?" Gaz asked looking at Inari.

"Why do you even try? You're all just gonna die!" Inari shouted his teeth clenched.

"What are you opening your yap about?" Mac asked growing irritated.

"You don't stand a chance against Gato! He'll kill you all!" Inari yelled.

"Kid, shut-up, you're taking us for granted. We're ninja, and he's got some small militia force who can only use some weapons and they have no abilities like us shinobi, we're elite and we can mop the floor with them without problems," Naruto said glaring at Inari.

"It's people like you who piss me off, you know that!?" Inari yelled, "you think you can do anything!"

"Kid, calm down you're beginning to piss me off, and that's something no one ever wants to see," Gaz warned.

"You should listen to my friend here, shut your pie hole or he's gonna light you up," Naruto said getting more frustrated with Inari.

"You think you're so tough?!" Inari roared, "You don't know what it's like to live a hard life! I bet you lived your life with comfort and joy!"

Gaz and Mac looked at each other then at Naruto with fear who began to shake with rage. Naruto snapped his head up and looked at Inari with cold eyes and sneered at him.

"You think I don't know what it's like to live a hard life? I don't know what it's like to have a hard life?! You little prick, you know what I had to go through in my life?! Have you ever been afraid to leave your house in fear for your life? Have you had people beat you close to death every day of your life and twice as hard on your own fucking birthday?! Have you been blamed for something out of your control?! Have you grown up without a mother or a father!? Have you had to live on your own for half your life and scavenge food from a fucking dumpster in order to survive?! Huh, have you?!" Naruto yelled slamming Inari into a wall glaring at him with absolute rage.

"Naruto, put Inari-kun down!" Sakura shrieked she was quickly pinned to the wall by Mac who was glaring at her letting off some killing intent.

"Now quit being such a whiny little bitch, because no matter how bad of a life you have, there's always one that's had it worse than you!" Naruto spat dropping him on the floor.

Naruto turned on his heel and exited the house muttering something about burning off some steam. He slammed the door so hard it broke off part of its hinge. The house was then deafly quiet which was broken with the sobs of Hinata. Tsunami sent a disappointed glare towards her son.

"Inari, that was very rude!" she scolded.

"It's the truth; they're all going to die just like him!" Inari retorted. He found himself slammed into the wall again, this time it was Gaz who had him pinned holding his neck.

"Shut-up with that fucking pig latin!" Gaz hissed as Inari's face began to turn red. "Listen kid, I don't care who you are, but if you ever say something like that to my friend again, you'll be nothing but a damn blood splatter on my sword! His life was by far the shittiest that I have ever heard the story of! Now grow some balls and stand up for yourself, that's what you should have done when Gato first entered your country!" he released Inari who was gasping for air.

Inari scuttled away from Gaz and ran upstairs to his room. Tsunami looked at them apologetically and sighed. Kurenai put her hand on Hinata's shoulder to calm her down. Mac let Sakura go and walked back to his chair, sat down and sighed heavily.

"Kurenai-sensei, is that true?" Hinata asked looking up at her with teary eyes.

"Hinata, what you heard Naruto say was a very sugar coated version of it. If he told the true things he went through you will be in even worse shape than you are now,"

"I'm going to go find him," Kakashi said standing up.

"Don't bother sensei, he's got to calm down so just let him do that and come to his senses," Gaz replied.

"Very well, but I'll send one of you out to get him later,"

* * *

In the forest a couple miles away from the house, many curses of anger and cracks of wood splintering filled the area. Naruto stood their panting looking at his hands which were bloodied and aching with pain. He swayed for a moment before falling against a tree. His vision went dark and he passed out from exhaustion.

Hours later, Naruto's eyes fluttered open from the sunlight stinging them. He sat up and groaned from the dizziness he was experiencing. A shadow blocked the sunlight and he opened his eyes to see a girl hovering over him. She had long raven hair and was currently wearing a kimono with flowers.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

"Yeah, I've still got a pulse," he replied.

The girl giggled and began to look around for some herbs. Naruto noticed this and realized something. The girl's chakra seemed very familiar, it was similar to the hunter-nin's chakra that helped Zabuza.

_**"Kyuubi, is it just me or is that the same chakra of that hunter-nin?"**_ Naruto asked.

_**"No, I can sense it too. Watch yourself Naruto, she might try something,"**_ Kyuubi replied.

"So, how is Zabuza-san doing?" Naruto asked, glancing at the girl.

He noticed the girl tense and saw her narrow her eyes at him. She pulled out a kunai and held it at the ready. Naruto held his hand up for a sign of peace.

"I'm not going to attack you, believe me if I did, you would be dead now," Naruto said with a serious tone.

The girl lowered the kunai and lowered her head. She continued searching for the herbs she needed to help Zabuza recover. Naruto walked over and knelt down beside her.

"What herbs are you looking for?" Naruto asked.

"Thanks for the offer but I got the amount I need," the girl replied.

"What's your name?"

"Haku,"

"I'm Uzumaking Naruto. Now, let me ask you something," Naruto said standing up.

"Very well," Haku said making a motion for him to continue.

"Do you think Gato will pay you and Zabuza after killing Tazuna-san?"

"Why wouldn't he? Zabuza would kill him if he didn't,"

"Be that as it may, but Gato probably will not pay you two,"

"I hate to say it but you're probably right,"

"That's why I have a proposition for you two. If you don't kill Tazuna I can grant you two a safe haven in Konoha, I am pretty much a grandson in the eyes of the Hokage and I can easily persuade him to spare you guys," Naruto informed.

"I'll think about it and I'll tell Zabuza, I'll give you our reply when we meet on the bridge," Haku agreed.

"Alright, but if you don't agree, we won't hesitate to kill you both when you attack,"

"Fair enough, farewell Naruto-kun," Haku said shunshining away.

Naruto heard footsteps and turned to see Gaz appear behind him. He walked over to Naruto and put a hand on his shoulder.

"You okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'm still in one piece," Naruto replied.

"Okay, let's get back to the others; we need to do some more training,"

Gaz turned and began walking off with Naruto trailing behind him. Naruto slowed down for a second and looked back to where he made the deal with Haku.

_"What have I gotten myself into?"_ Naruto thought, running his hand through his hair.

* * *

**Alright, that's the chapter, now I apologize again for the late update but I will do the best I can to stick to the promise of updating weekly on Fridays, so check every Friday for a new update. Hope you liked the chapter, see you next time!-CaptainPrice**


	10. Showdown on the Bridge

**Yo, CaptainPrice here with the next update for 'Shinobi of the Ebon Blade' like I promised. I know it was a week late but like I stated last time I will update weekly or the following week until the story is finished. This chapter might be a little rushed in my mind because I procrastinated and wrote the last 8 pages of it tonight. Anyway, I've babbled enough for now, so let's get to the chapter. Read and Review when done please, thanks!**

**Bold- Inner Sakura/Kyuubi/Death Knight Abilities/Jutsu**

_Italics-Thoughts/Letters/Flashbacks_

_**Bold Italics: Inhuman talk/Kyuubi and Naruto talking through the mind**_

* * *

Gaz and Naruto entered the Tazuna's house gathering everyone's attention. They all nodded at Naruto as a greeting. Tsunami set a plate of bacon and eggs in front of Gaz and Naruto as they sat down.

"Thank-you, Tsunami-san," Naruto said with a smile.

"No problem, Naruto-kun," she replied.

Grimes entered the room with a disturbed look on his face. This didn't go unnoticed by the genin of his fellow jounin. Kurenai decided make herself known and decided to ask the question that was on all of their minds.

"Grimes, what did Gato's henchman say?" Kurenai asked.

"All of you come with me. Tsunami, I'm sorry about leaving your breakfast unattended here, but this is important," Grimes said crossing his arms.

"That's alright, I can reheat it for you if you want," Tsunami said with a smile.

Both teams got up and followed Grimes into the study where they saw the corpse of the henchman. Everyone besides Naruto, Mac and Gaz were shocked to see the state he was in after the interrogation. His face was mangled to the point where the blood looked like purple goo. Some of his fingers lay on the ground, part of his arm was cut open so deep his bone was visible; many teeth were at his feet which had compound dislocations. The last most grisly wound was the hole in his chest which made his heart visible. The heart itself looked pale from all the blood that drained out of the small stab wound in it.

"It's a good thing I told you not to question his interrogation," Gaz whispered to Kiba who looked ready to vomit.

"So, what did you get out of him?" Kakashi asked, trying to avoid looking at the horrific scene before him.

"I managed to figure out how much men are under Gato's lead," Grimes said looking at the corpse behind him.

"How many are we talkin' here?" Kiba asked.

"Well, the good news is that Zabuza seems to be the only shinobi he has under command, other than that they're all bandits and thugs," Grimes began, "the bad news is that we're facing up to around 300 of these guys."

"300?!" Sakura shrieked.

"Yeah, about 300 of them,"

"And to top it off, if what you say about Zabuza being ready by Friday, we might be facing those other 300 bandits alongside him," Kurenai included.

"So what should we do?" Hinata asked.

"There's not much we can do," Grimes replied, "the best we can go for is to train and learn some jutsu by Friday."

"What kind of jutsu?" Sasuke asked with a glint in his eye.

"Elemental Jutsu. I'm going to give you all some affinity cards to determine your element," Kakashi said passing out little slips of paper.

"What do we do?" Kiba asked.

"Pump some of your chakra into it and your paper will respond to your element by either, burning, crumpling, getting wet, shredding, and so on,"

Each of the genin sent some chakra into their paper. Naruto's shredded into tiny bits before becoming soaked. Gaz's paper turned to dust. Mac's shredded into bits like Naruto's paper. Sasuke's crumpled before bursting into flames. Sakura's paper soaked wet in her hands.

_"Let's see here, Naruto has wind and water affinity. Gaz has earth affinity which can help with some of his necromancy if he combines it properly. Mac has a wind affinity just like Naruto. Sasuke has a lightning and fire combination, which leaves Sakura with a water affinity,"_ Grimes thought eyeing all of his students.

Kurenai observed her students and looked as each of them held their paper. Hinata's paper turned wet signaling water. Kiba's paper burned to ash and Shino's crumpled giving him a lightning affinity which surprised her.

"Okay, now this is what I want you all to do. Any of you who have the same affinity will practice the same technique in the scroll I will give you. However we can give you a hand since some of us have the affinity ourselves. For example I have fire and lightning, so I can give those who have those affinities assistance," Kakashi explained.

"Alright, Naruto, Mac I got a scroll for wind affinity here. Take it and start learning the handsigns and observe what it can do to see if you can combine it with your necromancy,"

"Wilco," Mac said taking the scroll.

"Hinata, here is a scroll for some water ninjutsu, take it and study it with Sakura," Kurenai said tossing her the scroll.

"Hai, sensei!" Hinata replied.

"Kiba, Sasuke, I'll show you two a standard fire ninjutsu and help you master it," Kakashi said looking at them.

"Shino, I can give you a lightning scroll on some basics," Kakashi continued handing him a scroll with a lightning strike on it.

"Gaz, here is an earth scroll with a couple earth techniques for defense and offensive attacks," Grimes said handing Gaz a scroll with a rock emblem.

"Get going, we need to get some of these under our belts to be ready for the fight," Grimes said looking at all of them.

The teams exited the room but Grimes told Mac, Gaz and Naruto to stay for a second. Grimes shut the door and turned towards them and glanced at the dead henchman. Grimes' facial expression adapted a serious look.

"What's wrong?" Naruto asked.

"We've got a problem about Gato," Grimes said looking at him, "that dead bastard there said Gato was acting a lot worse than normal. He said that Gato had some kind of strange aura in him and he doesn't seem to be human."

"So he's become a demon or is he a strong shinobi that's pulling a feigning act?" Gaz asked.

"I'm not sure, but I'm going to find out today. He was supposed to meet with Gato today at noon at a warehouse in the town by the docks," Grimes replied.

"Okay, so you're doing the recon today?" Mac asked.

"Yes, now get going on those scrolls, I'll be back later after the recon mission,"

They exited the house and stood back as Grimes summoned his Death Charger. He climbed on and looked down at them with a nod and rode out of sight. The three Death Knights looked at each other with some concern but shrugged it off and went to join the others with the training.

* * *

Two hours into the training left the genin panting with exhaustion. Some of them we're in high spirits with getting the basic steps done with one of their jutsu. However, some of them were cursing in anger at not making any progress. Mac and Naruto were grinning broadly at what their jutsu could do. If used properly they could empower their necromancy and kenjutsu. Mac was planning to use a wind jutsu to combine with his Dancing Rune Weapon to make it more devastating to reach a bigger range. Naruto was thinking about combining his wind jutsu with the Suiryuudan no Jutsu.

The two of them were about to continue their training but heard a loud explosion come from the trees hundreds of yards away.

"Isn't that where Zano is?" Mac asked.

"Yeah, let's go check it out," Naruto confirmed running to Gaz's position.

The two of them came into the clearing where Gaz was training to see a giant crater with a dead ghoul inside it. They saw Gaz covered in dirt and grass. Mac started to laugh at Gaz's state who just glared at him.

"What happened to you?" Naruto asked walking over to Gaz.

"Well the jutsu I did was supposed to make a barrier of earth for protection. However my ghoul thought it was a great idea to perform Corpse Explosion. Since he was powered with chakra it was twice as powerful as the normal explosion, resulting in the crater here," Gaz said wiping the dirt from his face.

"So Walter's dead?" Mac asked looking at the ghoul's remains. **(A/N: Walter is the name of Gaz's ghoul).**

"Yeah," Gaz sighed.

"Don't worry Zano, he's going to heaven,"

"Yeah, maybe he went to heaven, he was a little fucker he could've gone to hell," Gaz stated matter-of-factly causing Mac and Naruto to sweatdrop at that.

Gaz summoned Walter back from the dead and smacked him at the back of the head.

"That was a no-no, don't do that!" Gaz scolded. Walter gave a little groan and looked down at the ground.

"Dismissed," Gaz said and Walter sunk into the ground with a toothy grin.

* * *

The day went by quickly and all of the genin had made great progress with their techniques. All of them except Sakura, who said she practiced the jutsu but Hinata had told Naruto that she just wandered off and watched Sasuke learn his fire jutsu. All of them were sitting at the table eating Tsunami's delicious food again and enjoying it. The door to the house opened and closed quickly. Grimes entered the room with a serious yet disturbed look plastered on his face.

"You three. Conference, study, now!" Grimes said walking to the study.

The Death Knights followed Grimes into the study and sat around the room waiting for him to speak. He pulled out a cigarette with and lit it with his lighter puffing out some smoke. Naruto, Gaz and Mac could tell Grimes was very nervous about something.

"What happened?" Gaz asked.

"It's Gato, he's not to be underestimated," Grimes said taking a drag of his cigarette.

"What do you mean?" Mac asked.

"All you need to know is that Gato is too strong for any of our teammates, he's become something that only we can handle," Grimes replied.

"Why can't they help?" Gaz questioned.

"He's out of their league,"

"How is he so powerful?" Naruto asked.

_/Flashback/_

_Grimes had arrived at the warehouse where the henchman was supposed to meet up with Gato and the other cronies. He quickly made a clone and henged him into the henchman that he interrogated. The clone walked to the entrance of the warehouse and wrapped on the door. The door opened and his clone entered the building._

_Grimes then walked over to the freight yard and climbed on to the crates. He kept climbing until he got halfway up the side of the warehouse to where a ladder led up into the building. Grimes glanced around for any patrols but found none, so he continued climbing the ladder. Once he entered the warehouse he looked down from the catwalk he was on into the room below. He noticed his clone talking to another henchman before walking to a room on the opposite side._

_Grimes felt a very powerful aura in the room his clone entered. Finding it important, he began to descend down the ladder to the next floor. Grimes noticed a guard who was having a smoke with his back turned. He walked over slowly drawing his blade. Grimes covered the guard's mouth and shoved his sword through the guard's back killing him instantly. He dragged the body over to the crates and noticed a garbage chute. He pushed the dead guard into the chute hearing a splash of water a few seconds later._

_Grimes then entered the room and felt the aura beginning to grow thicker. It was hard to breathe from the dark power it was emitting. He wondered where the power was coming from until he saw it. He looked over the railing and saw a sealed cauldron with dark purple aura surrounding it, a phylactery. Grimes' eyes widened in shock, it wasn't possible! The scourge were here._

_He shook his head and noticed a squat little man in front of the cauldron filling up a small vial of the liquid. He wore a black business suit, black sunglasses and he had a cane in his hand. Grimes saw his clone come into view and kneel before the man._

_"Gato, I have collected the money from the market and stored it away in the vault,"_

_"Excellent work, now go and patrol the docks," Gato replied._

_"Yes sir,"_

_Grimes's clone left the room and dispersed. He looked down and noticed Gato drink the liquid from the phylactery. Gato fell to his knees and began to twitch violently. He let out an eerie roar as he began to grow while his flesh became pale and slowly melted away. Grimes watched in shock as Gato slowly turned into a lich. After transforming Gato gave a mad cackle and looked to his right._

_**"Ah, absolute power,"** Gato said with a wicked grin, "**Now which one of you will die first?"**_

_Gato used a Death Grip and pulled over a small child who was crying and cowering in fear. Gato slowly built up power and a blue aura came off his hand. The child turned and began to run towards the door which was locked form the outside._

_"No," Grimes whispered as he saw Gato fire the **Frost Bolt** at the kid._

_The child gave a terrified scream but it was silenced as he was frozen in a block of ice. Gato glided over and rested his hand on the block of ice. He slowly lifted it pulling out a blue wisp which Grimes confirmed was the boy's soul._

_"You fucking animal," Grimes whispered to himself._

_Grimes then saw Gato glide back to his phylactery. He picked it up and shrunk it with a curse spell. He opened his boney mouth and swallowed the phylactery whole and gave another mad cackle. By this point, Grimes had seen enough. He shunshined out of the warehouse and onto the bluff overlooking the freight yard. He needed to get back to the others and inform them of what he had witnessed._

_/Flashback End/_

"He became a fucking lich?!" Gaz asked with horror.

"Yes, and what makes it worse is that now he has sealed his phylactery inside him which will make it very hard to kill him," Grimes replied.

"But how did he get his hands on the necromancy to make a phylactery in the first place? That should be impossible," Mac inquired.

"I don't know myself, but we cannot afford to let our guards down on Friday," Grimes said puffing out some smoke.

"Should we tell the others about this? Or should we just tell them to leave Gato to us?" Naruto asked standing up.

"We'll have to just tell them to leave Gato to us," Grimes replied opening the door and walking out to the kitchen.

The Death Knights sat around the table and began helping themselves to dinner. Many of them ignored the glares their teammates gave them about not including them in the conversation. Naruto felt Hinata place her hand on his and looked at her with a faded blush.

"Are you okay, Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked with concern.

"Yeah, I'm okay, thanks for asking," Naruto said with a grin.

"I demand you to tell us what you told these dobes now!" Sasuke snapped stabbing his fork into his piece of pork.

Grimes looked at the Uchiha with a blank stare.

"No," Grimes said with a shake of his head.

"Why not? We deserve to know!" Sakura retorted, supporting her crush.

"No, you don't deserve to know for two reasons. One, it's classified information. Two, we don't trust any of you," Grimes replied.

Before the argument could continue, Inari entered the room to be met with the glares from Mac and Gaz. He visibly flinched and turned and ran out of the house.

"Inari!" Tsunami called out, but he was already gone.

"I'll go find him," Grimes said standing up.

* * *

Grimes got up and exited the house after Inari. He walked to the dock at the lake near their house. Grimes eventually found Inari sitting on the end of the dark looking into the water. He walked over and sat down by him.

"How are you doing Inari?" Grimes asked.

"I'm okay," Inari murmured.

"So I heard about the little episode you had with my students,"

Inari kept silent and continued looking at the lake. Grimes put a hand on his shoulder to get his attention.

"Inari, you have to understand why Naruto snapped at you when you said that comment," Grimes began, "Naruto never had the fortune of growing up with a mother or a father, you were fortunate to have both and one is still with you. Even though he had a rough life up to date, he still manages to get himself through his ordeals by protecting those close to him to earn respect."

Inari was shocked at that but managed to keep it contained. He nodded at Grimes and gave a small smile. The two of them stood up and began walking back to the house.

* * *

Dawn came on Friday morning awakening the shinobi to their inevitable battle to come. Gaz sat at the table holding his rosary moving to the next bead after each prayer. Mac kissed the cross on his necklace before putting it under his shirt. Grimes was twirling an unlit cigarette between his fingers, preparing for the battle against Gato and his newly acquired powers. Kakashi read his Icha Icha book much to the dislike of everyone in the room. Sakura was shaking with nervousness. Sasuke was twirling a kunai from his pouch while glancing at the others. Naruto was looking at his feet waiting for further orders.

Kiba was scratching Akumaru's head while they waited. Shino stayed silent and stood in the corner of the room. Hinata was rubbing her hands together praying she would survive the encounter. Kurenai came into the room and looked at her comrades all doing various activities to calm themselves.

"Are we ready to go?" Kurenai asked looking at the group.

"Let's do this. May the light bless us," Grimes said walking out the door.

"Come on Tazuna-san," Kakashi said pulling Tazuna with him.

"I'm coming get your perverted hands off me!" he retorted.

The rest of them exited the house and began to walk down the road. Gaz and Naruto took point and had their swords at the ready for any surprise attacks. Kurenai and Kakashi stood on opposite sides of Tazuna who was in the center. Kiba and Mac protected Tazuna's front and back. Sasuke, Shino and Sakura followed Grimes in back as rear guard.

Naruto held his hand up signaling them to stop. He wouldn't have caught the scent if the wind hadn't blown. He looked to the east and smelt the stench of blood. He turned and pointed at Grimes beckoning him up to him.

"What's wrong?" Grimes whispered.

"I smell blood coming from the east, I'm going to check it out," Naruto said.

"Alright, meet us at the bridge when you find the problem," Grimes replied.

Naruto nodded and ran off into the woods towards the east.

"Where's the dobe going?" Sasuke asked looking to the woods.

"He smelt blood, so I had him go check it out, he's going to meet us at the bridge," Grimes replied.

"What a coward-," Sasuke began but immediately found himself trying to breathe after a strike to the throat from Hinata.

"Shut-up and keep moving," she hissed.

_"Oh, snap!"_ thought all guys.

Sakura was about to yell at Hinata but was silenced with a deadly glare from said girl. The look in her eyes seemed to say, 'try me,' to Sakura as a taunt. After Sasuke stopped sputtering they continued towards the bridge, not knowing what they were about to see.

* * *

Meanwhile, Naruto had finally found the source of the blood. In front of him lay a dead boar which was cut to shreds with a sword. He knelt down and touched a wound from the boar to determine how long ago the cut was made. As soon as he touched it blood shot out and landed on the ground in front of him.

"It was killed just recently, but what would-," he thought to himself, and then it hit him.

An assassin must have gone towards Tazuna's house. He swore angrily and summoned a clone. He ordered the clone to meet his team at the bridge while he ran to Tazuna's house. Naruto panted heavily as he finally saw Tazuna's house come into view. He saw two men enter the house with swords and heard a scream.

Naruto shunshined under the house's deck and peeked through the cracks of the wooden floor. He could see the two men looking at Tsunami with smirks.

"Well, we got her, let's take her to Gato!" said one of them.

"I think we should have some fun with her," said the other.

"Leave my mom alone!" yelled a voice from behind them.

"Inari? Oh shit!" Naruto muttered as he saw the two turn away from Tsunami.

"Well look at the little brat, you gonna cry now?" asked one of them with a quivering voice to taunt him.

Naruto walked a few feet over to the right and saw a small hatch which revealed a floor door. He pulled the hatch and opened it quietly looking at the Tsunami who looked down with shock. Naruto held his fingers to his lips to signal her to remain quiet. He crept out of the door and turned to see the two bandits walking over to a shaking Inari. He took out his boot knife and walked over to them catlike.

One of the bandits raised his arm to slash Inari with his sword. Naruto made his move and threw a kunai into the back of the bandit's neck killing him instantly. He then turned over the other and put a hand over his mouth stabbing him in the kidneys which killed him quickly. Naruto looked over to the petrified Inari and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Hey, you okay?" Naruto asked.

"Yeah, I'm okay," Inari replied.

"Hey, don't be like that. You stood up to those guys to protect your mom, that takes guts. I'm proud of you, Inari," Naruto said with a grin.

"Thanks," Inari said grinning back.

"Hey look, take care of your mom; I need to get back to the bridge to help your grandpa,"

"Yeah,"

And with that Naruto ran out of the house and to the bridge. He needed to get in range distance to use the kawarimi.

* * *

Back at the bridge, the others made a disturbing discovery. Many of the workers that agreed to help build the bridge with Tazuna lay on the ground bleeding out and dying. Gaz ran over to one of them and helped him to a sitting position. The man coughed and looked up at Gaz who was slapping him lightly to wake him up.

"Hey, come on man, wake up, what happened?" Gaz asked shaking him.

"They came out of nowhere, they got me man, they got me," he said before his eyes closed.

"He's gone," Gaz announced looking to the others.

A chuckle came from the mist silencing them all. They all sunk down in battle stances and looked around for the sinister laugh.

"Well, well, guess who's here," Zabuza voiced.

"Show yourself!" Sasuke called.

"I'm already here,"

The mist cleared up a little bit revealing 10 Mizu-Bunshin clones of Zabuza. Kakashi eyed his students and gave an eye smile. All of the boys had a weapon drawn, ready to fight a clone in front of them.

"Go ahead, give them hell!" Grimes said with a grin.

Within minutes each of the Mizu-Bunshins were destroyed leaving puddles of water behind. There was some applause coming further ahead of them. Two silhouettes became visible in the mist. Once they became visible they stood at the ready. Zabuza and the hunter-nin that saved him came into view and looked at them ready to fight.

"Hmm, you're short one brat," Zabuza said noticing only four genin from Kakashi's group.

"You mean me?" Naruto asked appearing beside Mac and Gaz, sword drawn.

"So this is your answer, Haku?" Naruto inquired looking at them.

"No, Zabuza just wanted to toy with you all," Haku replied.

"What are you talking about?" Grimes asked.

"I made a proposition for them to come back to Konoha with us,"

"What?!" they all asked.

"Listen, do you really think Gato will pay them if they killed Tazuna?" Naruto asked looking at them all.

"Now that you mention it, you do have a point," Kurenai said folding her arms.

"Trust me I didn't like the idea myself, but after I thought about it, the brat did have a point," Zabuza said walking over to them with Haku close behind.

"So, you killed all these men?" Sakura asked in fear.

"No, Gato sent two men of his out here, this isn't my work," Zabuza said shaking his head.

"Oh? So I suppose your style is more sufficient?" a voice asked from behind them.

"Gato, I think I owe you something," Zabuza said turning around.

"What would that be?"

"Your death, Haku, let's go!"

Zabuza and Haku charged toward Gato who stood there with a smug look on his face. He held up a hand to stop his men from defending him. This confused all of the people around him minus the Death Knights who already knew why he didn't seem worried.

"Zabuza, Haku, wait!" Grimes yelled running after them.

"Time to-," Zabuza began bringing his sword down.

"Die!" Gato finished his sentence holding up both hands encasing both Haku and Zabuza in a block of ice.

"What the hell?!" everyone yelled in shock at the sight before them.

"You stupid fool, with this power I don't need your work anymore," Gato said pulling his hands toward himself.

Two blue wisps were pulled out of the ice blocks and Gato absorbed them with one deep breath.

"Shit," Gaz muttered getting ready for the fight.

"What the hell just happened?" Kakashi and Kurenai asked with shock.

"No time to explain, we got a problem at hand here," Grimes replied.

"What's the plan?" Kurenai asked looking at Grimes.

"I'll take Naruto, Mac and Gaz to confront Gato. You guys stay here and take out any of his bandits that try to pass you,"

"Fine, we'll come help you after we finish with them then," Kakashi said pulling out a kunai.

"No, we can handle it, this guy is out of your league," Grimes said looking back at Kakashi.

"That can't be possible," Sasuke retorted.

"It's possible and it's true Uchiha, so you stay here and help with the bandits,"

Gato took out his cane and delivered two quick taps to each of the blocks of ice. There was a bright flash of light as the ice blocks shattered littering the ground with ice. Naruto felt rage build up within him from seeing Gato kill Haku and Zabuza. Gato looked at his men and pointed at the shinobi in front of him.

"Kill them then loot everything from the village," Gato said, he looked at the kunoichi in front of him, "but leave the women alive, we need some more entertainment."

That comment was a good enough taunt to cause Naruto's and Grimes's blood to boil. There was no way this twisted little bastard was getting his rat claws on any of their comrades. Gato pointed at the shinobi with his cane and grinned revealing his yellow teeth.

"Attack!" Gato ordered.

* * *

The bandits began to run towards the group of shinobi giving fierce battle cries. Grimes charged at the crowd followed by Naruto, Mac and Gaz. As the four of them neared they all shunshined behind the bandits at the same time. Some of the bandits turned to the Death Knights and began to run towards them.

"Turn back; I'll take care of these fools!" Gato barked.

The bandits that turned to help nodded and continued to run towards the other shinobi. Gato looked at the four Death Knights in front of him and cackled madly. Grimes pointed his sword at Gato and glared at him sending some killing intent towards him. Gato was somewhat surprised at the killing intent but sent his own towards the Death Knights. Although they didn't show it physically, Naruto, Mac and Gaz felt the hair on their necks stand on end. Grimes wasn't fazed by the killing intent.

"We know what you are Gato. And as Knight's of the Ebon Blade, it is our duty to vanquish the scourge!" Gaz said glaring at Gato.

"Well then, let me test your abilities in my master's place!" Gato said grinning.

Gato held his arms out and began to float into the air. Purple aura began to appear around him until it shrouded his entire body. There was a crack as the aura appeared and a lich stood in Gato's position.

"We have to force him to release his phylactery," Grimes muttered. **(A/N: A phylactery holds the powers of the lich. Unless destroyed the lich will not die and its powers will stay in place. 'I think that's right...')**

"Plan?" Mac asked.

"Mac, you and Gaz will help attack him unless he summons any minions, then I want you guys to deal with them. Naruto and I will be attack Gato at all times. When he drops the phylactery, hit it with all you got until it shatters,"

"Alright,"

"Watch each other's backs," Naruto said glancing at them.

"Let's go!" Grimes roared charging at Gato with his greatsword.

Naruto, Mac and Gaz followed their captain and attacked Gato. Mac slashed at Gato with a **Heart Strike** hitting him in the stomach. Gato shot a **Frost Bolt** down at Mac but he jumped to the right avoiding it. Gaz summoned his ghoul and went through some hand signs he learned from the scroll.

**"Doton: Doryuu Armor!"** Gaz muttered placing a hand on his ghoul.

His ghoul became encased in a strong rock-like armor. Gato fired a **Frost Bolt** at the ghoul but it shot back at him.

"What?!" Gato yelled in surprise.

The **Frost Bolt** hit Gato in the chest causing him to grunt in pain. His power was very strong, and being on its receiving end really hurt him. He swatted the ghoul knocking it back at Gaz. Gaz's ghoul slammed into him taking him to the ground with a thud.

"Get off me you palooka!" Gaz shouted trying to push Walter off of him.

Grimes slashed at Gato with a **Rune Strike** hearing a loud clang as it went straight into him and hitting the phylactery. Gato growled and fired a shadow bolt at Grimes hitting him in the chest sending him airborne.

**"Hyouton Teppoudama!"** Grimes called firing ice bullets at Gato.

**"Frost Barrier,"** Gato murmured causing the ice bullets to repel in all directions after hitting his shield.

"_Damn-it, he reflected my attack with a Frost Barrier!"_ Grimes thought.

Gato fired a **Shadow Bolt** and a **Frost Bolt** at Mac and Naruto who dodged them. Gaz managed to get behind Gato and slammed his palms into the ground using a Death and Decay attack. Gato's hand grabbed Gaz by the foot and picking him up. Gaz looked at Gato's upside-down face only to see a hand be placed in front of him with a **Shadow Bolt** coming into place.

Gato's attack suddenly stopped after Naruto used **Mind Freeze** on him. He quickly fired a **Frost Bolt** at Gaz hitting him in the stomach sending him to the ground in pain. Mac jumped back and went through some hand signs. He held out both hands sending a tornado of wind at Gato who was focused on Grimes who was hitting him with an **Icy Touch**. Mac then hurled his sword to the twister and it began to be carried to Gato.

**"Fuuton: Kaiten Rune Blade!"** Mac yelled.

The tornado began to spin around Gato slashing into him with Mac's airborne blade. Gato growled and conjured another **Frost Barrier** sending the blade back to Mac. Mac caught his blade the hilt and charged at Gato.

* * *

Back on the other side of the bridge, the shinobi were knocking the bandits out one at a time. Hinata finished a hand sign sending a bullet of water into a bandit's chest sending him into two others. Kakashi appeared behind a bandit and punched him directly in the kidneys knocking him out. Kurenai had trapped some bandits in a genjutsu sending them into a deep sleep.

Sakura stood in front of Tazuna her legs shaking as she watched the fight before her. She held a kunai at the ready just in case any bandits got through the others. Shino had his kikai bugs shoot from his sleeves latching on to some bandits which began to suck their blood. Sasuke was knocking out one bandit from the next from various kicks and punches. Kiba and Akamaru went into their Beast Mimicry attack and began slamming into bandits that came from the right flank.

* * *

_**"I require aid, come to me minions!"**_ Gato boomed.

The ground began to tremble as ghouls, zombies and abominations began to appear from the ground. Mac and Gaz quickly rushed to attack the horde of scourge that appeared in front of them. Grimes charged Gato from the left while Naruto came from the right. Grimes held out his palm after using **Death Chill** to strengthen his attack and sent a blast of ice and wind into Gato's side. Gato roared in anger and focused on Grimes after being hit by his **Howling Blast**.

**"Fuuton: Renkuudan!"** Naruto yelled holding out his palm.

The blast of wind smashed into Gato's back making him stagger forward from the hit. He turned to Naruto only to feel another strike from behind him as Grimes hit him with **Rune Strike** again. Mac, Gaz, Naruto and Grimes surrounded Gato and held their hands out.

**"Hungering Cold!"** they chorused freezing Gato in a massive block of ice.

"Let's end this now!" Grimes barked.

"Walter, jump on to the block of ice!" Gaz ordered sending his ghoul towards Gato.

**"Hyouton Teppoudama!"**

**"Fuuton: Renkuudan!"**

**"Fuuton: Kaiten Rune Blade!"**

Gato finally broke free from the ice prison but was immobilized as Gaz's ghoul pinned his arms to the side. Gato tried to shake the ghoul off but the earth armor made him heavier than steel. He could only watch in horror as the attacks combined into one. His eyes widened and he felt excruciating pain hit him with full force. Gato was blasted into a steel pole which caused his phylactery to shoot out from his stomach covered in blue blood.

"Destroy the phylactery!" Grimes ordered.

"Walter, **Chakra Corpse Explosion**, now!" Gaz yelled.

Walter jumped on to the cauldron and began to cackle like a maniac. Gato began to struggle as he held out a palm to cast **Frost Bolt**. Grimes saw this and quickly used **Mind Freeze** to stop him. Gato could only watch as the ghoul began to grow twice its size and tremble violently.

"Walter go boom!" Walter cackled as he stopped trembling.

The explosion shook the entire area causing everyone to fall to the ground and look towards the source. The shinobi looked in the direction where Grimes took Gaz, Mac and Naruto to fight Gato. The remaining bandits stopped and looked back to where their boss was to see the outcome.

Naruto lifted his head up from the bridge and shook it to move the hair from his eyes. He heard others coughing from the dust cloud that kicked up from the explosion. The dust slowly dissipated and the Death Knights saw Gato now back to his human form. Naruto slowly pushed himself up and saw Grimes and Gaz walk over to Mac to help him up.

Naruto turned to see Gato who looked deathly pale as he scuttled against some crates. The mist that blocked the view of the shinobi began to fade making it clearer to see. They saw the four Death Knights looking at something sitting up against some crates. Naruto pointed his blade at Gato's throat ready to finish him.

"P-please, don't kill me. I'll give you all my money and leave Nami no Kuni right now and never return!" Gato pleaded desperately.

"You dare try to save your skin by bribing us after all the crimes you've done?" Grimes asked glaring down at him.

"I'll tell you everything, even how I got my powers!"

"Okay fine, we'll spare you if you tell us how you got your powers," Grimes replied gaining shocked looks from his students.

"Well, I, I gained my powers from some kind of creature. It looked exactly like I did earlier,"

"A lich gave you your powers?" Gaz asked not liking where this was going.

"Whatever they're called, but yeah, I got it from one of those things,"

"Do you happen to know the name of the lich?" Mac asked.

"Kel-Thuzad or something like that. He found me in my warehouse after entering from some portal that appeared, gave me the powers went in the portal and vanished,"

"I see," Grimes said with a nod.

"Can I please leave now?"

"Sure, but first,"

Grimes pulled out a blindfold and wrapped it around Gato's eyes. He led him over to the center of the bridge and turned him to face away from the village.

"Walk all the way to the end of the bridge then you can take your blindfold off," Grimes instructed pushing him forward.

Gato held his hands out in front of him and began to walk forward. Grimes looked at Naruto and nodded at Gato. Naruto, getting the message, crept up behind him sword at the ready. Naruto swung his blade across the back of Gato's neck, decapitating him. Gato's body fell to ground with a sickening thud, blood pooling around his corpse. The land of Nami no Kuni, after two years, was finally free.

* * *

**Alright, that's the chapter guys, read and review as always! I would like to take this time to thank all the readers for sticking with the story so far. I would like to request one thing from my readers, you don't need to do this if you want to but I would like more readers so I would like it if you could suggest my story to other readers and authors, I would appreciate it very much. Now I hope you liked the chapter this week, read and review as always! Now, since the Chuunin Exams are next I am not going to update next Friday since I don't have a plot in my head for how it will go yet, but the following Friday be ready for the next chapter. I hope you all had a great Easter! Have a good weekend, see you next time!-CaptainPrice.**

**Jutsu:**

**Doton: Doryuu Armor (Own Creation): The user can make an incredibly strong armor from earth to use for themselves or an ally.**

**Fuuton: Kaiten Rune Blade (Own Creation): The caster makes mini tornado of wind that lasts for a short amount of time. The user can then throw their Rune Blade into the tornado so the wind spins it around like a vortex to cut and dice up the enemy.**

**Fuuton: Renkuudan: A strong blast of air shot out of the user's hands, very strong attack.**

**Chakra Corpse Explosion (Own Creation): An Unholy Death Knight Attack that transfers chakra from the Death Knight to their ghoul companion making the normal Corpse Explosion more powerful than normal.**

**Death Chill: Empowers frost type attacks after being used, have to wait for a while for it to be useable again.**

**Howling Blast: Frost Death Knight attack that shoots an Icy Wind with Ice and Snow, very strong attack.**

**Icy Touch: Frost Death Knight attack mainly, slows enemy and deals damage when used.**

**Rune Strike: Frost Death Knight attack, causes up to 150% weapon damage, in this case for the chapter it was an armor piercer.**

**Heart Strike: Blood Death Knight attack, when used it connects with the enemy and transfers health back to the user and comrades within range.**

**Hyouton Teppoudama (Own Creation): Combination of Icy Touch and a Water bullet, very strong and lethal if it meets its mark.**

**Mind Freeze: Frost Death Knight attack, stops the enemy from casting a jutsu/spell immediately when used.**

**Hungering Cold: Frost Death Knight attack, encases the foe inside a block of ice for ten seconds.**

**Frost Bolt: An attack for a Frost Mage in WoW**

**Shadow Bolt: An attack for a Warlock in WoW**

**Frost Barrier: (Own Creation...kinda) I kinda made it a more powerful version of Mana Shield/Frost Armor for the Frost Mage in WoW.**

* * *

**(A/N: Now I'm pretty sure some of you are wondering why Gato had the powers of a Lich, a mage and a warlock. I'm pretty sure the thoughts running through your heads are, "Why the fuck did you do that CaptainPrice?" hehe, well I simply wanted to make it more interesting and plus a hybrid of a lich a mage and a warlock would be pretty cool for a fight in my mind)**

* * *

**Companions/Boss:**

**Walter: Gaz's personal ghoul companion. Walter is stronger than a normal Death Knights ghoul because of the training Gaz gave him. **

**Gato(Boss)(Elite)(Level:??): Gato, the tyrant of wave country that gained his powers from Kel'Thuzad. His twisted ambition for money and power led him to his downfall along with the fall of his bandits to the Konoha Shinobi/Death Knights. Gato finally lost his powers after his Phylactery was destroyed. (A/N: A phylactery is a cauldron like thing that holds the liches powers. Unless destroyed the lich will keep returning to life and his powers will stay in place. 'At least I think that's right...')**


	11. Team Changes

**Yo, CaptainPrice here with the next update for 'SOTEB' (Shinobi of the Ebon blade). I'm gonna come clean here okay. I didn't start the chunin exams in this chapter, but next chapter for sure it will begin. Now I got some reviews from my last chapter about the fight with Gato. All the reviews were positive, the only thing that was a little embarassing for me to read was the correction about the phylactery for a lich. I mean I SHOULD know that because I play the game (not as much as I used to but still...) I thank you guys for the corrections. Anyway on with the chapter, read and review when done please!**

**Bold-Inner Sakura/Kyuubi/Jutsu/Death Knight Powers**

_Italics-Thoughts/Letters/Flashbacks_

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Naruto or WoW, I DO however own the OC's (Grimes, Gaz, Mac), the story and the idea of the story itself. You got nothing on me lawyers! HAHA!**

* * *

Team Seven and Eight returned to Konoha in high spirits now that they have just completed an A-rank mission. The two teams went to the Hokage's office for their report. Hiruzen went ballistic at hearing the mission turned A-rank and they didn't decide to return to the village. Naruto, Mac and Gaz took the blame for them not returning, saying they wanted to test their skills and help the client after hearing his troubles. Hiruzen sighed and dismissed it with a wave of his hand and smiled.

"Don't worry about it, you did your duty and I am very proud of you all for that," he said looking at them.

"So what should we do now?" Gaz asked.

"Well, your teams have the rest of this week off for a break to use however you wish. So all I can say is go relax until next Monday,"

"Hai Hokage-sama!" all the genin replied before exiting the room.

"Is there anything else you needed of us, Hokage-sama?" Kakashi asked looking up from his book.

"No, that's all I wanted to know for now, you're all dismissed," Hiruzen replied returning to his paper work.

Kakashi and Kurenai left the room, but Grimes stood in front of Hiruzen's desk with a troubled look. Hiruzen noticed this and looked up at Grimes with some concern. He pointed to a chair in front of his desk and Grimes sat down pulling out a cigarette.

"Allow me," Hiruzen said shooting a small ember at the tip of the cigarette lighting it for Grimes.

"Thanks," Grimes said putting the cigarette in his mouth.

"So what's on your mind?"

"There's something I left out of our confrontation in Nami no Kuni."

"Oh? What would that be?"

"Remember that council meeting that happened two months ago?"

"Vividly."

"Well, Gato was given the powers of a powerful necromancer known as a lich."

"What?!"

"Let me explain, this will take a while."

* * *

Meanwhile at the Ichiraku Ramen stand, the three Death Knights sat on their stools eating their food. Naruto just finished his seventh bowl and demanded another.

"Old Man, I missed your ramen so badly!" Naruto grinned patting his belly.

"Glad to hear it," Teuchi replied grinning back at him.

"So did any of you get injured on your mission?" Ayame asked looking at them.

"It's called wounded Ayame. Injured is when you fall out of a tree or something," Gaz replied with a smirk.

Ayame blew a raspberry at Gaz and turned around to wash some dishes. The three of them continued to eat their lunch with some humor and the stories of their adventure in Nami no Kuni. The three of them left the stand after thanking Teuchi for cooking their lunch and walked outside to go and lounge around their house.

As they walked down the road, they noticed a square rock following them. All of them sweatdropped at the rock knowing it was a fake.

"Konohamaru, you do know that rocks aren't square with eyeholes on the side, right?" Naruto asked not looking back.

"Ah, just to be expected from my rival!" Konohamaru exclaimed with enthusiasm.

The rock began to glow white which made the Death Knights stand back cautiously. Gaz had his eyes screwed shut and was muttering what sounded like, "Don't blow the fuck up, don't blow the fuck up." The rock then stopped glowing making them lower their guard and Gaz sighed in relief. It then exploded sending them to the ground in surprise.

"Too much gunpowder!" Konohamaru coughed.

"Sorry!" another wheezed.

"Which one of you cocksuckers just blew that thing up?!" Gaz asked with barely contained rage.

"Let it go Zano, they're just kids," Mac replied trying to calm his short tempered friend.

"Fine, but if they do that again they're going to be in a shit load of trouble."

The smoke cleared revealing three children, two boys one girl. One of them was Konohamaru, the grandson of Hiruzen Sarutobi. The second boy had glasses with black hair. The girl had a permanent blush on her cheeks with flaming orange hair which was tied into two buns. The three of them got into a ridiculous pose and stood in front of the Death Knights.

"We are the Konohamaru Corps!" the girl beamed.

"Okay, but what are you three doing here?" Mac asked looking at them.

"Hey, boss, you promised you'd play ninja with us today!" Konohamaru stated with a pout.

"Did I really?" Naruto asked not having recollection of doing that.

"Yeah, but you we're a little tired when you gave your answer,"

"Well, I guess I can play for a while,"

"A ninja playing ninja? That's truly pathetic!" said a familiar annoying voice.

"Well I got nothing else to do right now Sakura," Naruto replied.

"Hey, boss, is she your?" Konohamaru said holding up his pinky.

Naruto's face went deathly pale and he could've sworn he just lost part of his soul at that remark. He bonked Konohamaru on the head lightly and smirked.

"Hell no, Konohamaru, she is not my girlfriend."

"Just as I could expect from my rival! You made the right choice, she has no boobs and her forehead could be used as a bulletin board!" Konohamaru said with a nod.

Naruto turned his head a little to see Sakura shaking in anger. She cracked her knuckles and was walking over to Konohamaru. Gaz and Mac were rolling on the floor laughing at the comment that Konohamaru made.

"You might want to run," Naruto muttered.

He gave a terrified cry as the crazy harpy began to chase him. Naruto began to follow them barely holding back his laughter. He decided to cut Sakura off by taking a shortcut, so he hung left a corner early. Naruto began climbing jumping over fences and through backyards. He passed through the laundry mat and came out holding a black lacy thong. Naruto glanced at the thong and grinned broadly at the name written in it, _'Hinata Hyuuga'_.

"Awesome," Naruto muttered pocketing the thong in his side pouch.

* * *

Naruto hopped over another fence landing directly between Konohamaru and Sakura. He stuck his leg out and 'accidently' tripped Sakura. He gave a sigh in relief of saving his surrogate little brother from the harpy's wrath. He was about to leave but stopped when he heard Konohamaru's voice.

"Hey, let go of me!" Konohamaru demanded.

"That hurt you little gaki. I'm gonna teach you a lesson!" retorted another.

Naruto turned to see a sand shinobi in a black bodysuit with a catlike hat on his head. The other sand shinobi was a kunoichi who was quite attractive. She had sand blond hair tied into four buns and an ample bosom hiding under her fishnet shirt. He shook his head to focus on the situation at hand.

"Hey, kitty!" Naruto called out.

The boy looked at him with an angry glare and sneered at him. Naruto glared back at the make-up wearing shinobi in front of him.

"What the hell do you want?" snapped the sand nin.

"I would suggest you put him down for your own safety," Naruto warned.

"Kankuro, just put the kid down, it was just an accident. Besides, we don't want to make 'him' mad," the girl muttered.

"This kid bumped me. I need to teach him a lesson! Besides, he isn't here right now Temari!"

"Fine, but I'm not involved in this,"

"I won't ask you again, put him down," Naruto stated with authority.

"Why don't you make me?" taunted Kankuro.

No sooner had the taunt left his mouth, Kankuro found a razor sharp blade at his neck. He glanced to his right and saw the blond haired boy holding a sword at him. Kankuro's grip tightened a little at the sudden turn of events.

"I can end your life with one swipe of my blade. Put him down," Naruto said glaring at Kankuro.

Kankuro dropped Konohamaru in fright as Naruto pressed his blade against his neck drawing some blood. Konohamaru ran off with his friends to avoid any further trouble. Naruto sheathed his sword and walked back down the road.

"Don't turn your back on me!" Kankuro shouted grabbing the bandaged weapon on his back.

"You're going to use Karasu?" Temari asked in surprise.

"He humiliated me. I need to teach him a lesson!"

Kankuro quickly gripped his wrist in pain as something small struck a pressure point. He dropped this weapon and began to curse angrily. Kankuro finally found where the pebble came from. Up in the tree was Uchiha Sasuke tossing another pebble up and down.

"What are you sand shinobi doing in our village?" Sasuke asked.

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura cried with glee, causing the others to flinch at her voice.

_"Hmm, local hotty,"_ Temari thought looking up at Sasuke with a light blush. She then turned to the blond boy and her blush grew. _"But this one is smoking hot!"_

"I'm going to get you for that brat!" Kankuro hissed.

"I don't think that's a good idea," Naruto interjected.

"Oh yeah? Why is that?"

"Because the red headed one in the tree looks pissed at you,"

Kankuro and Temari visibly gulped and turned to the tree. In the tree standing upside-down was a red headed sand shinobi with a tattoo kanji on his head read _'love'_. He was glaring at everyone below him.

"Kankuro, that's enough, you're an embarrassment to our village." the red head deadpanned.

"I, Gaara, they started it." Kankuro stammered.

"Shut-up or I'll kill you."

"Right, my mistake."

The red head used a sand shunshin and appeared between his two teammates. Naruto observed the sand retreat back into the gourd on the red head's back. Something was a little off about it but he shrugged it off for now.

"Apologies to you guys," the red head said with a blank look.

"No sweat," Naruto replied waving his hand.

Gaara nodded and turned on his heel beginning to walk away. His two teammates followed suit. They were stopped when Sakura decided to speak up about something.

"Sunagakure and Konohagakure may be an alliance, but it is illegal to be in each other's village without a passport…" Sakura started but stopped when Temari waved her off with her hand.

"Talk about living under a rock. We're here for the Chunin Exams and I have my passport right here," Temari replied holding out a photo ID.

"What are your names?" Naruto asked taking a step forward.

Temari turned around and pointed at herself with a light blush on her face.

"You mean me?" Temari asked.

"Yes you, and your teammates," Naruto replied with a grin.

"Sabaku no Temari," Temari said with smirk.

"Sabaku no Gaara," Gaara muttered.

"Sabaku no Kankuro," Kankuro said with a glare.

"I am interested in your names as well," Gaara said looking at Sasuke and Naruto.

"Uzumaki Naruto," Naruto said with a raise of the hand.

"Uchiha Sasuke," Sasuke said with a smirk.

"I hope to see you both again in the Chunin Exams,"

With that the three sand shinobi walked off, leaving Naruto alone with Sakura and Sasuke. Not wanting to be around them, Naruto shunshined to his house. Sakura realized she had Sasuke all to herself and went forward to ask him out on a date.

"Sakura, if you have time to ask me out, why don't you use it for training? I hate to admit it but Naruto, Gaz and Mac can pull their own weight. Work on your skill to be a better kunoichi so you don't get in our way," Sasuke said walking away, leaving a confused Sakura behind.

* * *

The week of relaxation came to an end very quickly, causing team seven to come back to their meeting place. As the five of them waited for Kakashi and Grimes they all kept wondering what the Chunin Exam was like. It would be sweet if they could partake in it, but they knew only their captains could do that. There were two loud cracks as Grimes and Kakashi appeared on the bridge in front of them.

"Holy shit, he's actually on time." Gaz muttered.

"Team Seven, we have two things to discuss with you," Kakashi said folding his arms.

"What would that be?" Sasuke asked looking at them.

"First, we decided to sign you all up for the Chunin Exams." Grimes said looking at his students. "Second, the team is being split in half,"

"Huh?" Naruto asked.

"I asked the Hokage to let me form a new team so we don't have one big team. So as of now, Naruto, Mac and Gaz are released from squad seven and placed under my squad."

The Death Knights noticed Kakashi's hand was shaking so hard from his clenched fists. The genin didn't know why Kakashi seemed upset about this, but Grimes knew the reason.

_/Flashback/_

_A couple of hours ago in the Hokage's conference room, all the Jounin stood in front of the Hokage. They were discussing the topic of which teams were entering the Chunin Exams this year. But before they began to talk about the exams, Grimes stepped forward after gaining permission to speak._

_"Hokage-sama, if it isn't going to put you into too much of a bind, I would like to resign as sensei for Team Seven." Grimes said_

_Whispers broke out between the Jounin, the three who were shocked the most were Hiruzen, Kurenai and Anko. Kakashi wasn't paying attention to Grimes and continued to read his book, to many women's displeasure._

_"May I ask why, Grimes?" Hiruzen asked._

_"I feel it is in the best interest to train Naruto, Mac and Gaz since I have known them for many years. I also have taught them before they joined the shinobi ranks."_

_"Okay, but this doesn't have anything to the behavior of the other members or your team does it?"_

_"Sir, with all due respect," Grimes began as he looked Hiruzen in the eyes. "You could have got someone intelligent for the position of team seven's sensei, but instead, you pick the guy with the leadership qualities of a fucking gerbil,"_

_"What has been done since team seven's formation?"_

_"Teamwork exercise training, low ranking missions and that's about it,"_

_"Have they learned any chakra control exercises?"_

_"Yes, when we were on the mission in Nami no Kuni we did do chakra control training."_

_"So what seems to be the problem?"_

_"My problems are having one student who is a lovesick puppy and a bat-shit crazy, power hungry Uchiha who belittle their comrades and know nothing of the creed Kakashi gave them. My second problem is that when I offer training to Sakura she denies it saying Sasuke will save her. I don't bother teaching Sasuke since he's a nut, but I don't worry about him either because Kakashi has been training him in ninjutsu secretly."_

_"Has Kakashi taught the others anything?"_

_"No, sir."_

_Hiruzen sighed and looked at Kakashi with a harsh gaze. He apparently was paying attention after Grimes insulted his leadership qualities._

_"Very well, Grimes. I'll place your students in your care under a new team and Kakashi will keep custody over Sasuke and Sakura," Hiruzen said with a nod._

_"Thank-you, Hokage-Sama." Grimes said with a bow._

_"Come talk to me when the meeting here is done so we can register your team,"_

_"Yes, Hokage-sama."_

_"Hokage-Sama, who will be our third member for squad seven?" Kakashi asked._

_"Kakashi, after hearing what Grimes said I am starting to question if I should disband team seven and relieve you all of your shinobi licenses. But since the council is too damn stubborn to let the Uchiha be granted what he desires, I can't do that. But I have one rookie that is fresh from the batch that will be your replacement. He'll meet you tomorrow morning."_

_"Hai, Hokage-Sama." Kakashi muttered._

_/Flashback End/_

"Come on boys, you need to get some shut-eye to be ready for the exams tomorrow," Grimes said leading his students away.

"What is our team?" Gaz asked.

"We're Team Thirteen,"

"Unlucky thirteen, eh? I'm starting to miss being, lucky number seven." Mac said with a laugh.

Team seven watched as they saw their four former teammates leave the squad in high spirits. There was silence before Kakashi broke it by clearing his throat.

"Well, meet at the academy tomorrow to enter the exams. Our new replacement will meet you both there...Don't be late." Kakashi said before disappearing in a shunshin.

"Finally free from those losers!" Sakura cheered.

"That's not good Sakura." Sasuke said with a glare.

"What do you mean?"

"They know a lot of information on us, so if we face them in the exams we might have some problems. I hope for your sake you have done some training Sakura because if you haven't I honestly don't think you'll make it through these exams."

Sasuke turned on his heel leaving Sakura alone on the bridge. She looked down and began to shake with realization. These exams would not be a walk in the park, and now they're going against their former teammates. It seems payback is a bitch.

* * *

**Well, that's the chapter! I'm sorry if this one seems short but the next one will be longer, I promise you that. I will try to get the new one up next Friday but I gotta work everyday except Friday adding up to 24 1/2 hours for a 17 year old high school student may push me over my limit. So what I'm sayin is don't count on a new chapter for another 2 weeks. Before I go I would like to wish everyone a good weekend. Quick little question, I've been pondering with pairing Anko with Grimes and Kurenai but I don't know. I'll make the decision on depending on what you guys say, you're entitled to your opinion =P lol. Later guys!-CaptainPrice**


	12. Chunin Exam Part 1

**Yo, here's the next update for SOTEB: (Shinobi of the Ebon Blade)! This chapter introduces a new OC for team seven's new replacement and it covers the first exam of the Chunin Exams. Now without further delay, here's the next chapter! Read and Review when done please!**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Naruto or WoW! I DO own the OCs, the story and the idea of the story.**

**New intro- Chapters 11-19 "Princes of the Universe" Queen. **

**New Outro-Chapters 11-19 "Follow" Breaking Benjamin.**

**Bold-Inner Sakura/Kyuubi/Death Knight Abilities/Jutsu**

**_Italics-Thoughts/Letters/Flashbacks_**

* * *

Sasuke and Sakura were standing outside the academy waiting for their new teammate. Sakura looked nervous and would spare glances at the building behind her. Sasuke was growing impatient while waiting for their new comrade. At this rate, they will miss their chance to take the exams.

"Argh! Where is this loser?" Sakura shrieked.

"I don't know, but I'm going to kill him if he prevents me from entering this exam." Sasuke replied.

"Well, I hope you're not one to follow through with your threats because it will end badly," a voice said from behind them.

The two of them turned to see another boy around their age. He had brown eyes, unruly spiky black hair, and his skin was pale. He was wearing a gray boonie **(A/N: Think Captain Price's hat from MW and MW2)**, brown combat boots, dark blue cargo pants, a blue t-shirt a green vest with compartments and a sword was strapped to his back.

"Who the hell are you?" Sakura sneered.

"I'm your new teammate you stupid bitch," the boy retorted, with a glare.

"What'd you call me?!"

"Let's go, we're already late thanks to you, loser." Sasuke said, glaring at the boy.

"I made you two late? You're mistaken, I was here for the past hour inside waiting for you both." The boy replied.

The boy turned on his heel and walked inside the academy. Sasuke and Sakura followed their new teammate inside. They entered the academy to see him ascending the stairs to the upper floor. The two of them caught up to him and stood by his side.

"You got a name, loser?" Sasuke asked.

"Yeah, it's go fuck yourself," the boy, replied with malice.

"Don't talk to Sasuke-kun like that!" Sakura yelled.

"Did you say something, cunt?"

Sakura's face turned scarlet with anger and she sputtered trying to think of a comeback. Obviously this new teammate was one that would not take insults from anyone. She lowered her head and looked at the floor as they trekked down the hallway. Team seven came to the next floor and saw a herd of genin standing outside a door, the sign above it read 301.

"Hey! Why don't you release the genjutsu? This is the second floor!" Sasuke said, feeling smug.

"You fucking idiot!" the boy hissed, smacking Sasuke upside the head.

"What was that for, loser!?"

"That was a trick to weed out the weak genin who should not become chunin, now we got a bigger competition. Smooth one jackass."

* * *

Meanwhile on the third floor, team thirteen was about to enter the exam room. Grimes stood outside the room beaming at his students with pride. Three Death Knights in front of him, on their way to becoming damn good soldiers.

"I am proud of you three," Grimes said, looking at each of them.

"Awe, that means a lot, Grimes," Gaz replied, with a choked voice.

"Zano, let's try to enjoy this moment a little longer."

"Sorry."

"Now, get in there, kick some ass and take names."

"Hai!" The Death Knights replied.

The three of them entered the doors and into the room. They saw multitudes of genin as they looked around the room. Two teams were staring at them intently. One was Gaara's team and the other was a team from Kumogakure. The team from Kumogakure looked too strong to be genin in Naruto's mind, but he decided to come back to that later.

The team from Kumogakure consisted of one boy and two girls. One girl wore a bandanna and had a sword strapped to her back. The other girl had long platinum blond hair, but the thing that made her stand out was her huge breasts. The boy had a heavy two handed sword strapped to his back.

"Looks like we got some fun competition here, huh?" Naruto asked.

"Sure does. What do you think, Zano?" Mac asked, looking at Gaz.

Gaz didn't reply, he was too entranced by the blond kunoichi's breasts. Mac and Naruto sweatdropped at their friend. Mac shook Gaz's shoulder, breaking him from his trance.

"What were we just talking about?" Gaz asked.

"Nothing." Naruto replied.

"Well, look who's here!" came a girl's voice.

The three of them turned to the source of the noise and found team ten coming towards them. Ino stood in front with Shikamaru and Choji behind her. Team thirteen acknowledged them with a nod.

"So where's the rest of your team?" Ino asked, looking for Sasuke and Sakura.

"This is the team, we separated from team seven." Gaz replied.

"I think those two will be here with their new teammate fairly soon," Mac said, crossing his arms.

Sure enough, about ten minutes later, the doors to the room opened again. Team seven appeared, all of them looking irritated. Sasuke had a bruise on his face and Sakura was trying to look at it, and the third member was glaring at the two of them with disdain.

"Sasuke-kun!" Ino yelled, jumping on to his back hugging him.

"Get off 'my' Sasuke-kun, Ino-pig!" Sakura shrieked.

"I haven't been on this team for an hour and I already want to kill them." muttered the boy.

"Who are you?" Ino asked the boy.

"Well, since you asked nicely, my name is, Ryuzaki Sanderson," the boy replied, with a nod.

"Well it looks like the gang is all here!" Kiba said walking over to the genin.

Team eight joined the other three teams for a small reunion. Kiba noticed that there was an additional new face among them. He dismissed Ryuzaki as a new weak shinobi he could easily beat. He gave a cocky grin to Sasuke and Naruto.

"I wonder how far we'll get, eh, Sasuke?" Kiba challenged.

"You seem confident, Kiba," Sasuke replied, with a smirk.

"We worked our asses off, there's no way we're losing to you!"

"You all might want to keep it down. These other genin here are getting rather irritated," said a shinobi with glasses.

"Who are you?" asked Ryuzaki.

"Yakushi Kabuto, I'm taking the exams again." Kabuto replied.

"This is your second time?" Hinata asked.

"Erm, no, it's my seventh."

Ryuzaki, Naruto, Mac and Gaz narrowed their eyes in suspicion. No one could possibly fail that many times. He must be a spy for someone, the only question was who. They were broken out of their thoughts when Kabuto turned to Sasuke who asked him a question.

"So you must have some information on these exams then?" Sasuke inquired.

"Yeah." Kabuto replied.

"Do you have information on any shinobi?"

"I do. Is there anyone you have in mind?"

"Rock Lee, Uzumaki Naruto, Sabaku no Gaara, and Ryuzaki Sanderson."

Ryuzaki and Naruto looked at Sasuke with angry expressions.

"Well that makes it easier," Kabuto said, channeling chakra into a card.

"Rock Lee. Teammates are Hyuuga Neji and TenTen, sensei is Maito Guy. His team mission summary is 55 D-rank, 3 C-rank. He excels in taijutsu and sucks with chakra control."

"Uzumaki Naruto. Teammates are Gaz Zanovich and Mac Compton, sensei is Grimes Wallcroft. Team Mission Summary is 30 D-rank, 1 C-rank, 1 B-rank and 1 A-rank. His combat skills are classified for some reason."

"Sabaku no Gaara. Teammates are Sabaku no Temari and Sabaku no Kankuro, sensei is Baki. Team Mission Summary, 20 C-rank, and 3 B-rank. Skills are unknown, but get this, he came back from all of those missions without a scratch.

"Lastly, Ryuzaki Sanderson. His teammates are Uchiha Sasuke and Haruno Sakura, his sensei is unknown. Mission Summary is 45 D-rank, 10 C-rank and 1 B-rank. His Kenjutsu is jounin level, ninjutsu and taijutsu is mid chunin level and his genjutsu is low chunin."

Sasuke was miffed that he didn't get much information on Naruto, but he grinned at the information about his opponents. The comment about Gaara being uninjured on all his missions scared a lot of the genin since that meant he was very strong. Naruto caught a glance of three blurs as they dashed at Kabuto. Kabuto dodged a strike from a mummy faced Oto nin. He smirked but he soon vomited from the invisible attack.

"Put this down in your cards, Otogakure will demolish all of you wimpy genin!" stated the mummy wrapped shinobi.

There was a loud crack as a Tokubetsu Jounin wearing a black bandanna and trenchcoat appeared at the front of the room.

"Alright you maggots my name is, Morino Ibiki. From now on I'm your instructor and your worst enemy!" Ibiki yelled.

* * *

The genin that were standing quickly scrambled to any empty spots to sit down for the exam. Gaz, Naruto and Mac were all in separate columns sitting next to some competitors. Naruto and Gaz lucked out on who they sat by. Naruto was sitting by Hinata and Gaz inadvertently ended up sitting next to the voluptuous blond haired shinobi from Kumogakure.

"You have forty-five minutes to complete this test. The tenth question will be announced at the end of the time given for the test. If any of you are caught cheating, you and your team will be thrown out and you won't be able to take the chunin exams again." Ibiki said, enjoying the looks of horror on some of the faces.

"You may start your test."

All the shinobi flipped their papers and looked at the questions. Naruto, Mac and Gaz looked down at the paper and their eyes almost popped out of their heads. There was no way any of them could answer these questions without cheating. The only person who probably could do this would be Sakura.

_"How in crikey fuck are we supposed to answer this!?"_ thought the Death Knights.

Then it hit them. They had to cheat in order to move on to the next exam. Naruto looked around and noticed how some of the genin were cheating. Neji and Sasuke were using their eyes, TenTen was using mirrors on the ceiling to show Lee the answers, and Gaara was using some kind of a jutsu that formed an eye of sand.

"Hey, number 32, sit properly!" Ibiki barked.

Naruto glanced to his left and saw Ryuzaki sitting in a crouched position on his chair while answering his questions. Ryuzaki reluctantly obeyed, but flipped Ibiki the bird before returning to his test.

* * *

The jounin sat around the lounge in the academy wondering how their teams were doing in the exam. Asuma had lit a cigarette and handed it to Grimes who thanked him. Kakashi was currently reading his Icha Icha book. Kurenai was glaring at Kakashi who was reading the perverted work of art in front of her. Guy was yelling about his team being filled with youth by participating in the exams.

"I hope they're okay," Kakashi said aloud.

"They shouldn't have much problems, I'm sure my team will make it through easily," Grimes said, puffing out some smoke.

"I wouldn't be too sure about that. I'm willing to bet that at least half of those teams will be gone after the first exam here." Asuma said.

"What do you mean?" Kurenai asked.

"Oh, that's right, you were promoted just recently to jounin. Well, the proctor for the first exam is, Morino Ibiki. He is the interrogator for the Black Ops."

"You're shitting me, right?" Grimes asked.

"Nope, so I wouldn't be surprised if our teams fail."

"My team can withstand Ibiki, their flames of youth have never burned this much before!" Guy cheered with fire in his eyes.

Grimes, Kakashi, Asuma, and Kurenai all sweatdropped at the spandex wearing jounin and shook their heads.

* * *

Back upstairs, most of the genin were finishing their tests. Naruto ended up doodling on his paper since he didn't have any way to cheat. Gaz managed to copy some answers from the blond next to him by shifting his eyes without turning his head. Mac had gotten his answers by using his blood worms.

"All right crotch stains, it's time for the tenth question!" Ibiki shouted.

The genin looked up and noticed that around twenty-one genin were missing, obviously they were kicked out during the exam. Ibiki looked at the genin in front of him with a glare and released some killing intent.

"Now, for the tenth question, you have two choices. You can either take the question fail, or you can quit now and your team can leave and try again in two months." Ibiki announced, enjoying the screams of anger.

"Prick!" yelled one shinobi

"Asshole!" barked another.

"Fucker!" shouted Kiba.

"Cocksucker!" Gaz roared.

"What kind of question is that!? Of course we'll take it!" Temari yelled.

"But you'll fail the exam," Ibiki replied.

Silence filled the room to the point someone could hear a pin drop. The tension in the room was so thick it could be cut with a blade. Minutes ticked by and no one spoke up.

"If anyone wishes to leave now, raise your hands," Ibiki said, looking at the genin.

Slowly, one by one, genin raised their hands. The number of shinobi that left went from twenty-one to thirty-six. Seeing that no others raised their hands, Ibiki decided to try and ask one more time.

"Last chance, you can either fail or take the test again in two months."

"Shut-up! Just give us the goddamn question you son of a bitch!" Naruto yelled.

"I'll fail you and your team right here, kid!" Ibiki replied.

"Well put your money where your mouth is and do it!"

Many of the genin and proctors in the room looked at Naruto like he was insane. The proctors were all thinking along the same lines.

_"This kid has balls of steel!" _

"Is that your final answer?"

"Of course it's my final answer you stupid fuck! My teammates and I will never run away. Even if we are failed and remain genin, we will still become damn good shinobi and die for this village regardless of the mission!"

Ibiki looked at Naruto with a glare, but on the inside he was grinning and his respect for the kid grew. He glanced around the room and noticed the other genin were now renewed with vigor and would not back down. They all regained their confidence when one genin stood up against him.

"If that's the case, then everyone in this room…passes!" Ibiki said.

"What!?" yelled all of the genin.

Naruto blinked for a moment and fell back in his chair in shock. He didn't know what came over him, he just opened his mouth and risked failing his team. But it seemed Ibiki wanted that answer.

"What kind of question was that!?" Temari yelled in confusion more than anger.

"The question is supposed to show how devoted you are. The shinobi world is filled with sacrifice. Sacrifice for war, but namely to protect your comrades and village secrets." Ibiki replied.

He pulled off his bandanna and revealed his head to the genin before him. Some of the genin vomited at the sight. There were incisions, lacerations and bolts in Ibiki's head. He had to have endured some of the most gruesome torture any shinobi would be face against. Ibiki then tied the bandanna back on his head.

He looked out the window and noticed something was coming towards it. He took a step back and was concealed by a banner that read, 'The sexy and single, Mitarashi Anko'. Naruto grinned at seeing Anko again, not having seeing her for almost two months.

"You're early again, Anko." Ibiki said.

"Oh, shut-up!" Anko snapped back with embarrassment.

"What the!? Seventy-two teams? You passed Seventy-two teams? You must be getting soft, Ibiki."

"Well, I would have succeeded but that blond haired kid has balls of steel."

Anko looked at the kid Ibiki was indicating and grinned. She gave a wave at him and he waved back.

"Hey, Naruto-kun! Long time no see!" Anko greeted.

"Good to see you too!" Naruto grinned back.

"Hey, where's your sexy hunk of a brother?"

"Don't know, probably in the jounin lounge."

"I hate to break this conversation up, but you need to get on with the exams." Ibiki interjected.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Anko replied, dismissing it with a wave of her hand.

"Alright maggots, follow me! By the time I'm through with you, only five percent of you will remain!"

Anko hopped out of the hole she created and out of sight. Sakura was shaking at the percentage of passing this next test. She followed the rest of the genin out of the hole and towards a distant training area. Naruto was the last to leave, but he stopped.

"Ibiki-san," Naruto said, handing him a piece of paper.

"What's this?" Ibiki asked.

"I believe we have a spy in the exams here, the suspected guy's name is on the piece of paper there."

Naruto then jumped out of the hole and began to run towards his teammates. Ibiki looked at the note and opened it. The note read, _Yakushi Kabuto_. Ibiki recognized the name and noticed that this kid has taken the exam many times but always quit after the second one. He folded it and tucked it in his pocket before shunshining to the Hokage's Tower.

* * *

**Well, that's the chapter! Read and Review when done please! Next chapter is the Forest of Death, I will try to get it out next Friday! I would like to take this time to thank my readers who enjoy this story and have stuck with it since and given me reviews and advice. Thanks guys and have a great weekend!-CaptainPrice**

**Story shoutouts:**

**My personal pick of stories that are worth reading.**

**"Naruto vs Sasuke The Aftermath" written by, Kingkakashi.**

**Very well written story by an author who inspires me, deserves to be read by everyone for the amount of effor and time and creativity.**

**"Naruto the Angel of Death" written by, Elredar Skylance.**

**One of my favorite stories so far, very addicting to read over and over again so far. My rating is 5 out of 5 stars.**

**"Supreme Genetics Creation of a Bloodline" written by, Hefster and Kingkakashi.**

**If you love drama and romance and a love triangle, this story is a good one. Perfect combination of NaruxHinaxSaku. Slow update but worth the wait to read.**

**"The Raikage" written by, Aragon Potter**

**A great 'What if?' Naruto story. Naruto brings Sasuke back and is banished from the village because of using Kyuubi's chakra and is feared by the council that he may lose control.**

**Character: OC**

**Name: Ryuzaki Sanderson (Japanese first name, American last name)**

**Age: 14**

**Rank: Genin**

**Skill Level: Mid Chunin**

**DOB: 6/22**

**History: Unknown (for now).**


	13. Chunin Exam Part 2: The Forest of Death

**Yo, here's the next chapter of 'Shinobi of the Ebon Blade'. This chapter is the second part of the Chunin Exams, The Forest of Death. Read and Review when done please, I would appreciate it very much!**

**Chapter Summary: The second stage of the Chunin Exams begin. Naruto's team has an encounter with their former teammates. Ryuzaki starts to show his shinobi skills. Orochimaru appears and Ryuzaki ends up fighting him to defend his team and Orochimaru gives Sasuke the Cursed Seal of Heaven.**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Naruto or WoW. I DO own the OCs (Grimes, Gaz, Mac and Ryuzaki), the story, and the idea of the story itself.**

**Bold- Inner Sakura/Kyuubi/Death Knight Powers/Jutsu**

_Italics- Thoughts/Letters/Flashbacks_

* * *

All the genin were looking at the massive enclosed forest in front of them. Many of the genin looked at it with fear and some looked at it impassively. Anko turned to the remaining teams from the first exam with a wicked grin. She looked at Naruto's team, knowing that they would probably pass this exam easily if Grimes taught them.

"Welcome to my playground maggots!" Anko said with an evil grin.

"What is this place?" asked the busty Kumo shinobi.

"This is the second stage of the Chunin Exams. You stand before the Forest of Death."

"This place will be a walk in the park," Naruto said aloud.

"Are you mocking my playground, Naruto-kun?" Anko asked sweetly.

"As a matter of fact I am. Zano, Mac and I have been through worse."

"Oh really? Then enlighten us."

"Before we became shinobi, we were trained in a special form of power. For the final test we had to do was to survive in the frozen land of Icecrown for two weeks. We had to travel all the way around the entire region in two weeks or we failed and had to do it again. We had to endure the harsh climate with daily temperatures around negative fifty degrees. Out of the fifty of us that did that test, eight of us came out."

Everyone was looking at Naruto's team with either shock or disbelief. Anko herself wasn't sure what to believe. She shrugged it off and began handing out pamphlets.

"What are these?" Sakura asked.

"They're brochures you need to sign saying that if you die, we're not held responsible," Anko said in a singsong voice.

Each team began to sign their names on the pamphlets to proceed with the exam. After all the teams finished, they were given either a brown or white scroll. Naruto's team was given a brown scroll and Ryuzaki's team was given a white scroll. The exam was going to start in ten minutes, so it gave every genin time to get themselves pumped and prepared.

Ryuzaki took the chance to slip away from Sasuke and Sakura for two reasons. His first reason was that he was sure that Sasuke's ego and Sakura's stupid fangirl attitude was making his IQ drop at insane levels. His second reason was that he was going to steal some scrolls from enemy teams before the start of the exam. He returned one minute before the exam was about to start, his side pouch had two scrolls hidden inside, one brown and one white.

"Where were you, baka!" Sakura yelled bringing her fist back.

"Sakura if you hit me right now, I'll cut your arm off," Ryuzaki replied, glaring at her.

"Will you two shut-up and focus? We need to get the other scroll as fast as we can so we can get to the tower," Sasuke said, with the trademark Uchiha glare.

"Whatever."

Every genin team stood in front of their designated gates watching the countdown on the clock. Thirty seconds until the exam began. Naruto decided to have his team go after Sasuke's team for the other scroll. They wanted to beat some sense into them and prove they were always better than Sasuke and Sakura. Fifteen seconds, ten seconds. Five, four, three, two, one… A bell rang and the gates to the forest opened.

* * *

Naruto, Gaz and Mac came to a stop in a clearing a half mile into the forest. They crouched inside a nearby thicket and began to devise a plan. The three of them determined they could probably take on Sakura without much of a problem, Sasuke would require at least two of them, but they weren't sure about Ryuzaki. Ryuzaki was an enigma to them. They were not sure what he could do, so they would probably have to go against him, three on one.

Team thirteen started their journey to the west towards team seven. While they walked they would hear screams of pain and terror every now and then from the hazardous forest. Mac smirked and decided to ask a question.

"Hey, Zano?" Mac asked.

"Hm?" Gaz replied.

"This kinda reminds you of the Icecrown survival training, doesn't it?"

Gaz listened to Mac's question and looked around at the trees. Dark, creepy, dangerous, and filled with enemies. He put on a thoughtful face and then shrugged.

"Yeah, Mac, now that you mention it…" Gaz began. "Except of course there's no snow, we've got warm grub in our bellies, and the trees aren't fuckin' exploding from airstrikes. But yeah, other than that, a lot like Icecrown."

"Now how does it feel to be reminded of those two weeks of hell?" Mac asked with a smirk.

"Naruto, smack him for me please."

Whack! Naruto slapped Mac on the back of the head with the back of his hand. Mac rubbed the back of his head from the slap in obvious pain.

"Thank you."

* * *

Team seven was currently sitting in front of a tree and coming up with a code to help identify each other. Ryuzaki was bored out of his mind as he tuned out Sasuke's voice. He looked around and he felt as though he was being watched. Although he could have told his team that they could run to the tower since he stole two scrolls before the exam started, but decided against it.

His eyes fell upon a pond fifty yards away to their right. He could have sworn he saw one of the plants move. Ryuzaki was brought back to reality when Sasuke yelled at him.

"Hey, loser!" Sasuke yelled.

"What?" Ryuzaki asked in annoyance.

"Were you even paying attention to the code?"

"Yes, but I honestly don't give two flaming shits about you two or the code."

"Well I hope for your sake you remember, I don't need to waste time waiting for you to recite the code if we get separated."

"Whatever. Listen, I'm going to do recon to try and find some teams."

Ryuzaki stood up and hopped into the trees above them. Sasuke smirked at Ryuzaki as he disappeared from sight, believing he was being a coward. Unknown to his teammates, Ryuzaki was actually going to try and narrow down the competition before the exam was done. He had five days to do the exam. This was going to be a long week.

* * *

Team thirteen found their former teammates standing at the base of a tree. They had arrived to see Ryuzaki depart for a recon mission. Naruto signaled for Gaz to move along the pond and he motioned for Mac to go along the left flank. Naruto would distract Sasuke and Sakura by gaining their attention by walking into the clearing. Once they were distracted, Gaz and Mac will initiate the ambush.

Naruto saw Gaz and Mac poke their heads out of their hiding spots as a signal. Naruto gave them the thumbs up and they sunk into their cover. Naruto pulled out his blade and walked out towards team seven. Sasuke and Sakura turned and saw Naruto walking towards them with his sword at the ready.

"Well look who's here, Sakura," Sasuke said with a smirk.

"He must be an idiot coming here alone." Sakura taunted.

"I'm an idiot? I think not. I think you two are the fools for not looking underneath the underneath." Naruto replied.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"He means this!" Gaz said, appearing behind Sakura with his blade against her neck.

Mac appeared behind Sasuke and put him in a full-nelson. Sasuke and Sakura were caught off guard. They had let their egos get the better of them and it cost them greatly. Naruto walked over to Sasuke and felt around his pockets. He found the scroll inside the right pocket. It was a heaven scroll, just what they needed. Naruto motioned for Mac and Gaz to release their former teammates.

"Well, I must say that went better than I thought it would." Naruto said, grinning broadly.

"Indeed." Gaz agreed.

The three of them began to walk away from team seven, feeling victorious. Naruto spun around and quickly used **Hungering Cold**, freezing multiple balls of fire. Gaz summoned Walter and covered him with the **Doryuu Armor**. Mac summoned two clones and had them ready to attack.

Sasuke growled in anger that his jutsu was blocked by the ice barrier. Sakura had a kunai in her hand and was getting ready to fight. Naruto quickly used the **Kage-Bunshin** summoning more than thirty clones.

"I suggest you stand down Sasuke, this won't end well for you if you two fight." Naruto said calmly.

"Shut-up, Naruto-baka!" Sakura shrieked.

Gaz raised his hand and a purple aura formed around it. A purple arm shot out of his hand and wrapped itself around Sakura's neck. The **Death Grip** pulled Sakura over to Gaz who delivered a punch into her stomach. Sakura fell to her knees then fell to the ground after Gaz slammed his elbow down on her spine. Tears of pain appeared in her eyes as she struggled to get back up. Sakura looked up into Gaz's eyes only to be met with the foot of his boot. There was a crack as Sakura's nose broke. She fell to the ground knocked out from the blow.

"Damn, that felt good." Gaz muttered.

"Sasuke, if you continue to try and attack us by yourself, not only would you lose, you will probably fail this exam." Mac reasoned.

"Like you losers can defeat an elite like me!" Sasuke retorted.

"You're elite? And here I thought you were just holding back. But then again, you are weaker than us, Sasuke. Kakashi may have shown you some new jutsu, but it depends how you use it and how you fight. Right now, you won't be able to take on all three of us with your chakra level since the jutsu you know consumes too much chakra."

"Shut-up!"

Sasuke rushed at Naruto, but soon was blasted back as three green balls of fire shaped likes skulls slammed into his stomach. He slammed into the tree and slid to the ground. He tried to move but fell to the ground in severe pain. The last thing Sasuke saw was Naruto, Gaz and Mac dragging Sakura over to him with some rope.

* * *

Sasuke awoke several hours later with a pulsing head. He looked around and noticed it was late in the evening. Crickets were chirping and a scream from a genin team would echo around the forest. He tried to move but found it impossible. Sasuke turned his head and noticed he was tied to Sakura with a thick rope. That's when he remembered getting knocked out by team thirteen and his team's scroll was taken. He clenched his fists and shook with rage from being so humiliated and easily defeated. He was an Uchiha damn-it!

"And you say I'm the one who will be getting in trouble." Ryuzaki said appearing in front of him.

"Shut-up and get me out of this!" Sasuke snapped.

"Why should I help an asshole such as yourself?"

"Because I'm the leader and I am ordering you to do it as your superior!"

"Well then I think we need a new leader, namely me, because out of all of us I believe you are the least qualified."

"I'm an Uchiha!"

"I could care less, it's just a name. Not everyone is gonna bow down and kiss your ass because of your name, Sasuke. In fact, people like you are the ones who always end up being killed quickly."

"Shut-up and cut us loose!"

"And I already know you guys fucked up and lost the scroll as soon as I was gone. That is why I took the liberty of stealing two scrolls before the start of the exam."

Sasuke's eyes widened briefly but they reverted back to his usual glare. Sure enough, Ryuzaki reached into his pouch and pulled out two scrolls, one heaven and one earth. Sasuke was inwardly seething at Ryuzaki's skill and vowed to learn his secrets.

"How long have you had those?" Sasuke asked through gritted teeth.

"Before the exam started, like I just said a moment ago." Ryuzaki replied.

He walked over to Sasuke and Sakura and pulled out his boot knife, cutting the ropes open. He then slapped Sakura across the face making her sit up abruptly. She looked around in confusion before her eyes landed on Ryuzaki. Sakura brought her fist back to hit him but was sent to the ground from a thrust kick Ryuzaki sent at her.

"Knock it off, if you try to attack me every time it will only serve to humiliate you even more. You're a kunoichi for fuck sake, Haruno, you're not a child anymore, act like the kunoichi you are!" Ryuzaki sneered.

Sakura hung her head and tears began to form in her eyes. The words that left Ryuzaki's lips were harsh but they were true. The only reason she became a kunoichi was to impress Sasuke, not to serve Konoha as a shinobi. She shrugged it off and focused on her broken nose and began to mend it with her chakra.

"How did you steal the scrolls before the exam without being caught?" Sasuke asked.

"Trade secret." Ryuzaki replied.

"That's cheating!" Sakura yelled.

"That's how shinobi work, Haruno. They don't play fair, you should know that. But then again, your head is so far up your ass that lump in your throat is your goddamn nose." Sakura felt anger build up in her and tried to think of a response, but couldn't.

Ryuzaki swiftly pulled out his blade and held it at the ready and faced the direction he felt the chakra surge. Before he could alert his teammates, a sudden gust of wind hit them at full blast. All three of them were launched off their feet and sent to the ground a couple feet away. Ryuzaki, however, wasn't as lucky. He got the full force of the wind and was sent hundreds of yards away from his team.

Sasuke saw Sakura crawling towards him and he pulled out a kunai. He was on full alert now that they were unexpectedly attacked. He noticed Ryuzaki was nowhere to be seen and he cursed.

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura said, moving more quickly.

"Stop!" Sasuke replied with a glare.

"Sasuke-kun, what's wrong?"

"What's the password?"

Sakura repeated the code that Sasuke gave to the team earlier and he lowered his guard. Now the only one they needed to find was Ryuzaki. Just as they were about to look for Ryuzaki, they saw him appear from under some trees behind them. He stumbled over to them looking rather torn up.

"Are you two okay?" Ryuzaki asked.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes in suspicion. Ryuzaki wouldn't have asked them that, he would have ignored them and just told them to get moving. He slowly reached for a kunai on his right leg, preparing to throw it. Sakura looked relieved to see that Ryuzaki wasn't too far away from them. Sasuke suddenly released the kunai and sent it soaring towards Ryuzaki. He quickly swerved to the side, narrowly avoiding it. Sakura was both scared and confused at what Sasuke did just now.

"Sasuke-kun, why did you do that?" Sakura asked.

"Who are you?" Sasuke asked with a glare.

"It's me, Sasuke." Ryuzaki replied.

"Bullshit, Ryuzaki wouldn't have done anything you just did. He doesn't call me my name, he doesn't make sure we're alright and he's right handed. You have his sword to be pulled from your left!"

Ryuzaki blinked then gave an evil smirk. He slowly licked his lips with an abnormally long tongue. His eyes began to change from brown to yellow with black slits. Ryuzaki chuckled which then turned into laughter.

"You caught me, Sasuke-kun." Ryuzaki said with a smirk.

* * *

Ryuzaki sat up dizzily and looked around. His team was nowhere in sight and he quickly remembered that they were sent back from that gale. He stood up and was about to start moving but he sensed something coming at him from his right. Ryuzaki back flipped away just in time to avoid being swallowed by a massive snake.

He looked up at the snake and saw it staring at him with its yellow eyes. Its tongue stuck out and it gave a hiss. Ryuzaki put his hand on the hilt of his sword to draw it when the snake attacked. The snake launched at him again, its large fangs ready to sink into his body.

"Awe, fuck." Ryuzaki sighed.

* * *

Sasuke and Sakura were currently hiding in the trees from the deranged shinobi. Sasuke was currently looking around wildly, searching for the shinobi that was hunting the both of them. Sakura had never seen Sasuke so terrified in her life. She wasn't doing so well either.

"Sasuke-kun, are you okay?" Sakura asked, moving over to him.

"Sakura, shut-up! She'll hear you!" Sasuke hissed.

Sasuke sensed something coming from under their hiding spot. His eyes widened in horror and he quickly pulled Sakura away with him. Just as they jumped, the branch they were hiding on exploded into splinters of wood. In front of them was a giant snake with sinister yellow eyes. It lunged at Sasuke to swallow him whole. Sasuke jumped back and the snake came at him again. As the snake came at him, he saw the face of the grass shinobi instead of the snake.

"No, stay away!" Sasuke screamed, throwing kunai and shuriken at the snake.

The snake took the hits of all the thrown weapons and reeled back in pain. The grass shinobi appeared on top of the snake's head. She gave a chuckle and smirked at Sasuke, licking her lips.

"Sasuke-kun, I'll make a deal with you. If you hand me your scroll I'll let you and your teammate leave." Said the shinobi.

"Why should I believe you?" Sasuke shot back.

"Because I admire your skill as a shinobi. Not one genin has survived against me as long as you."

Sasuke felt himself swell with pride at the praise but was still ready to fight again. He swallowed in fear at what would happen if he told his enemy he didn't have the scroll.

"I'm waiting, Sasuke-kun," the woman said, tapping her foot.

"I-I don't have the scroll, we lost it," Sasuke stuttered.

"I see… well, that's a shame."

The Grass Shinobi came at Sasuke, ready to strike the killing blow. As she neared, however, she was forced to stop after seeing a small flash. She ducked, narrowly dodging the shuriken that embedded themselves in front of her feet. She turned to the direction where the shuriken came from and smirked.

* * *

Ryuzaki stood in the branches fifty yards away from his teammates. He was currently glaring at his teammates and the Grass Shinobi. He was positive that the Grass Shinobi was the one that hit him with that sudden wind blast a while back. The snake that tried to eat him earlier was way too big to be one of the forest snakes. That meant that the snake was summoned, and only two people have the summoning contract for snakes. One was the proctor of this exam, Anko Mitarashi. The second was Orichimaru of the Sanin.

"Ah, now this is a surprise," said the Grass Shinobi.

"Indeed it is… Orochimaru." Ryuzaki replied.

Orochimaru was mildly surprised that this genin knew who he was without asking. Either he was very perceptive or a very talented shinobi. Ryuzaki shunshined over to Sasuke and crossed his arms in disappointment.

"What would your family think of you if you gave up like you just did, Sasuke?" Ryuzaki sneered.

"Don't you dare even speak about my family with that filthy tongue of yours, loser!" Sasuke snapped.

Ryuzaki had enough. His hand made a fist and he punched Sasuke across the face so fast that when it connected, Sasuke was thrown off his feet and into the tree trunk. Sasuke slid down the tree and landed on his rear. He caressed his cheek and glared at Ryuzaki with rage, but was met with an even more intimidating glare from said genin. Sasuke looked in Ryuzaki's eyes and what he saw scared him greatly. The look Ryuzaki was giving him reminded him of his brother, Itachi, when he murdered the entire clan that fateful night.

"Sasuke, for the couple of hours that I've known you, I have come to the conclusion that you are a spineless pussy that needs a major modification. How are you supposed to grow strong if all you fight for is yourself?" Ryuzaki said with venom.

Sasuke's eyes widened in surprise but reverted back to their angry glare. What Ryuzaki said to him made him have a reminder what his brother said to him.

_"Foolish little brother. If you wish to kill me…become hateful!" _Itachi's voice rang through his head, causing him to growl and clench his fists.

"Orochimaru, the proctors are on their way," Ryuzaki said, his hand slowly pulling out a signal flare.

"You're bluffing. I've used minimal chakra to hide its power from alerting everyone."

"I'm not bluffing…and here's why!"

Ryuzaki's hand appeared a signal flare inside it. Orochimaru's eyes widened in surprise but returned to a glare. He kept his cool and knew the proctors wouldn't come unless the flare was yellow. Ryuzaki brought his fist back and began to bring the flare down to the branch of the tree. Orochimaru couldn't tell the flare color until he saw the stick was yellow.

_"Shit!"_ Orochimaru thought, moving through handsigns like crazy.

As soon as Orochimaru finished the last handsign, Ryuzaki had already slammed the flare into the tree. The flare gave a whistle and rocketed up into the air. Orochimaru could only watch as the flare soared into the sky above and exploded with a loud bang. A yellow fire appeared in the sky and continued to shine.

Orochimaru was so distracted that he didn't see Ryuzaki move towards him. Ryuzaki brought his fist back and sunk it into Orochimaru's stomach. He then pulled out his sword and gave a quick slash, which tore through the Sanin. Ryuzaki narrowed his eyes, knowing that was too easy. Sure enough, Orochimaru's body turned to mud and splattered around the branch.

"I knew that was too easy," Ryuzaki muttered, glancing around the trees.

"It was indeed, Ryuzaki-kun… but I will admit that punch in the stomach did hit the real me. I just barely managed to escape the slash with a **Kawarimi**." Orochimaru said, appearing behind him.

"Damn-it!" Ryuzaki spat, bringing his arms up to shield himself.

The kick from Orochimaru slammed into his forearms with brute force. There was a crack as Ryuzaki felt his wrist break and fell to his knees in shock. He grabbed his left wrist in agony and knew he wouldn't be able to use his normal blade. This meant he had to use his other blade if he wanted to survive.

Ryuzaki was punched across the face and sent airborne to the trees above. Ryuzaki vanished into the thicket and out of sight. Orochimaru turned to Sasuke who stood up shakily. He began to run towards Sasuke and was about to grab him. Suddenly, Ryuzaki appeared where Sasuke was using the **Kawarimi** and used it again to replace himself with the clone he made after being sent into the trees. Orochimaru grabbed Ryuzaki around his neck and pulled out a kunai. He brought it up to Ryuzaki's throat and gave a malevolent grin. Ryuzaki looked terrified, but on the inside, he was grinning like a psycho.

"Have any last words, Ryuzaki-kun?" Orochimaru asked pressing the kunai against his throat.

"Yeah, I do actually," Ryuzaki replied with difficulty from the lack of air.

"What would that be?"

"Bam-a-lam!"

Ryuzaki suddenly exploded, shaking the entire tree and causing the branch beneath Orochimaru to snap. Orochimaru leapt from the smoke with some burns and cuts on his person. He was stunned at the fact that Ryuzaki had managed to injure him with a **Bunshin Bakuha**. Orochimaru ducked as he felt a presence moving towards him from behind. There was a swish as a blade howled over the top of him, nearly severing his head.

Ryuzaki currently had a new blade in his right hand. He must have summoned it from a concealed scroll in one of his vest pockets. Orochimaru pondered his current thought and decided to go with it. He opened his mouth and a blade shot into the air. Orochimaru caught the blade by the hilt and pointed it at Ryuzaki who looked disturbed from the sight.

"Have you ever considered being a sideshow attraction?" Ryuzaki taunted, gripping his blade tightly.

_"I'm going to kill you, you cheeky bastard!"_ Orochimaru thought with a glare.

Ryuzaki quickly brought his blade up and parried a strike from Orochimaru's blade. He kicked at Orochimaru and managed to hit him in the knee, shifting his weight. Ryuzaki swung his blade and it clanged loudly against Orochimaru's. Both of them were trying to overpower the other. It was at this moment Ryuzaki recognized the blade Orochimaru was holding.

"So you stole the Kusangi!" Ryuzaki hissed.

"Ah, you recognize it, eh?" Orochimaru inquired.

"I've read all about legendary blades, and to think that it fell into the hands of an unworthy shinobi like you!"

"You just signed your death sentence."

"I know it's coated with poison, I just need to dodge it long enough until reinforcements arrive."

Orochimaru cursed himself for forgetting the flare that Ryuzaki used earlier. If he was right, it had been about ten minutes since the flare went off, so he had just a little less than five minutes until the backup came. Orochimaru gave a violent push on his blade which put stress on Ryuzaki's broken wrist. Ryuzaki barred his teeth in pain and growled. He gave a leg sweep which kicked Orochimaru's legs out from under him.

Orochimaru almost fell to his back, but managed to go into a perfect back flip at the last second. Ryuzaki's sword slammed into the tree branch where Orochimaru would have been and sunk into it deeply. He began to tug on the hilt as hard as he could to pull it out of the branch.

"It's been fun, Ryuzaki-kun. But this is the end of our fight," Orochimaru said appearing in front of Ryuzaki.

Ryuzaki didn't have enough time to guard himself from the attack. Orochimaru gave a double roundhouse kick into Ryuzaki's stomach and face. The force sent Ryuzaki off the branch with his blade and slammed him into a nearby tree trunk. Ryuzaki hit the trunk and hacked up a bunch of blood. He fell to his knees and his vision became blurry. Ryuzaki fell to the branch out cold.

* * *

Orochimaru walked to Ryuzaki, intending to finish him off. He stopped when he felt two chakra signatures closing in on him. He cursed and turned to Sasuke, who sat petrified with fear. Orochimaru extended his neck and sunk his teeth down into Sasuke's neck. Sasuke's eyes widened in surprise, but it quickly turned to pain as he felt his body searing on the inside. He gave a loud scream in agony and fell on all fours clutching his neck.

Sakura who had fainted in fear earlier, regained consciousness after Ryuzaki got knocked out. She immediately jumped over to Sasuke and hugged him to her. She glared at the man who bit Sasuke and glared with rage.

"What did you do to Sasuke-kun!" Sakura shrieked.

"I gave him what he wanted. Now he will seek me out for power," Orochimaru replied slowly sinking into the branch.

"Who are you?"

"I'm, Orochimaru of the Sanin."

Orochimaru chuckled as he vanished into the branch. His evil chuckle echoed around the trees and slowly faded away. Two figures burst through the trees and landed on the branch. Sakura looked up and noticed Anko and Grimes standing on the branch looking at her team.

"Where is he?" Anko shouted.

"Anko, he's long gone by now. We need to get these three to safety," Grimes said walking over to Ryuzaki.

"Yeah, you're right."

Grimes squatted down and sat Ryuzaki up in a sitting position. He gave two quick slaps across Ryuzaki's face, jolting him awake. Ryuzaki's eyes snapped open and his eyes darted around the wood.

"Where is he? Where's, Orochimaru?" Ryuzaki asked.

"Calm down, kid. He's gone." Grimes replied

"What happened to him?" Anko asked, looking at Sasuke.

"That freak of a ninja bit him on the neck." Sakura whimpered.

"He what!"

"What's wrong, Anko?" Grimes asked.

"We need to get these three to the tower, pronto!"

"If you can heal me, I can make a clone to carry my teammates and then we can haul ass to the tower. You guys can get to the tower and alert the Hokage and Jounin." Ryuzaki interjected.

"Tough luck, kid. You're too fucked up to even move at the moment, so we're getting you three to the tower to get patched up." Anko said, picking up Sasuke.

"I got him," Grimes said, slinging Ryuzaki over his shoulder and gripping Sakura's shoulder.

Anko and Grimes shunshined to the tower and left the testing sight. The pieces to the puzzle were beginning to fall into place. Ibiki had shown the note to the other Jounin that said Kabuto was a spy. Now it was clear who he worked for. He was working for Orochimaru. The only thing that needed to be done now was to find out what they were planning.

* * *

**Well, that's the chapter, read and review when done as always! Now that this chapter is out of the way, I would bring up some things. The first thing is that I would like someone to clarify if I am the first person to have Naruto on a different team, steal his canon team's scroll, (I'm probably not, but I haven't seen any stories with him doing that). The second thing, I am a little sad that the story hasn't been getting as much reviews as it used to. It use to be in the high teens for each chapter, now it's dropped down to 9 or 10 a chapter. It's not bad, but it makes me feel like I've driven readers away with the way the story has been going. The third thing is that I'm going to try and get this updated next week, but no promises like I said. Other than that I hope you all have a good weekend and I hope you have enjoyed the chapter. See you next time- CaptainPrice.**

**You can see the weapons my OCs are using in this story on my profile page. There is also currently a 'Character Popularity Pole' for this story on my profile page as well.**

**P.S: I request that readers take a look at some of my other stories instead of this one as well, but hey your decision.**


	14. Chunin Exam Part 3: Preliminaries Part 1

**Yo, CaptainPrice here with another update for 'Shinobi of the Ebon Blade'! I skipped a few of the fights in this chapter since I don't want to take the time to write fights for all individual so bear with me that I made it the same in the manga okay? I know this chapter is a day late but I was busy yesterday. I had to do some errands and High School Graduation Practice. I graduate tomorrow from Hight School. (Naruto Cast of Shinobi of the Ebon Blade: HOORAY!) anyway, I have Summer Vacation now and I will try to update a couple times a week now since I have more time. I intend to keep my promise to you guys. I will finish this story before I go to college on August 20th. I would like to announce that I gained over 15 reviews for the last chapter. Let's try and keep it up here! Anyway, I've babbled on long enough. I present you with the next chapter. Read and Review when done please!**

**Bold- Inner Sakura/Kyuubi/Walter (Gaz's Ghoul)/Jutsu/Death Knight Attacks**

_Italics- Thoughts/Letters/Flashbacks_

* * *

The Genin teams stood in front of the Hokage and the other Jounin while they waited for the next part of the exam to begin. Team seven arrived at the last minute after waking up late. Sasuke's and Ryuzaki's wounds kept them from moving from their room until the final day. Even though the medics took care of them after their arrival from their encounter with Orochimaru, they still had to give their injuries time to heal.

When seeing that team seven had arrived, the Hokage cleared his throat. The Genin turned to the Hokage, waiting for him to speak. Hiruzen puffed out some smoke from his pipe and took it out of his mouth.

"Well, it seems that the rest of our candidates our here," Hiruzen said, looking around at the genin.

Many of the Genin gave bored grunts and motions with their hands, dismissing the statement.

"As you can see, you have all been narrowed down greatly. Out of the seventy-two teams that started the second exam, eight teams remain."

"So does this mean we all move on to the third stage of the exam?" asked the voluptuous blond Kumo shinobi.

"I wish I could say that, but there are still too many teams. We will now have preliminary matches to determine who will move on. Before we continue though, I will allow anyone that wishes to quit to leave at this time. So does anyone wish to drop out?"

There was silence. It was broken when Kabuto raised his hand and gave a nervous chuckle. Naruto glanced at Kabuto and then to the Hokage who looked neutral at this.

"I wish to forfeit at this time, Hokage-sama. I've used too much chakra and I just got here." Kabuto said.

"Very well, you are free to go." Hiruzen replied.

Kabuto turned and left the arena. Hiruzen made a signal with his hand and an ANBU appeared beside him. He instructed the ANBU to take two teams of ANBU and capture Kabuto for interrogation. The ANBU nodded and **shunshined** away, leaving some confused Genin.

"Is there anyone else that wishes to discontinue at this time?" Hiruzen asked again.

Team seven had watched Kabuto leave. This had given Sakura an idea and she tugged on Sasuke's sleeve. He turned and gave her a leveled glare in annoyance. Sakura had a pleading look in her eye and was getting ready to be Sasuke to quit the exam. Ryuzaki, wasn't too keen on having Sasuke participating in the exams either. His reasons were completely different from Sakura's though.

Ryuzaki had noticed that ever since Sasuke received that mark on his neck, he had been acting more irritated than normal. His body language indicated violence if provoked too much, which would probably happen if Sakura wasn't careful with her choice of words.

"Sasuke-kun, I think you should stop. I can tell you're in pain from that mark on your neck. So please, please don't continue!" Sakura pleaded.

"Who the hell do you think you are telling me to quit?" Sasuke sneered.

"I care for you, Sasuke-kun. I don't want to see you get hurt!"

_"Ugh, gag me,"_ Ryuzaki thought, rolling his eyes.

"I'm an avenger, Sakura. I need to do this, nothing matters as long as I know I am strong enough to get my revenge. The only way to know is if I compete in these exams, so shut up!"

Sakura's lip quivered and her eyes filled with tears. Ryuzaki looked at the pathetic sight before him. While he didn't mind Sasuke speaking his mind, he was greatly irate that Sasuke thought he should continue because he was an avenger. He was about to speak his mind, but stopped when Sasuke turned to him.

"You're one of the ones I want to fight, Sanderson." Sasuke muttered.

Ryuzaki wanted to reply back, but couldn't find any words to say. He stayed silent and turned away to look at the Hokage.

"Well, seeing as nobody wants to leave, I ask that the Genin-," Hiruzen began, but stopped when he heard coughing.

"Hokage-Sama, I would like permission to take over from here since I am the proctor of this exam." The sickly Jounin spoke.

"Very well, Hayate."

Hayate nodded and walked to the center of the arena to speak to the remaining Genin. He coughed a little and cleared his throat from the phlegm.

"Alright, now since I'm sure all of you want to get this over with, we're going to hop into the matches now." Hayate said, coughing again.

"So how is this going to be done?" Ino asked.

"There will be a one on one match between two shinobi. The screen on the wall behind me will randomly select two shinobi to fight against each other in the arena here. You are allowed to forfeit your match if you want."

"Is killing allowed?" Gaara asked with his monotone voice.

"Granted the exams here are supposed to portray real life events, it is allowed. But it is heavily frowned upon."

Gaara grunted in response, a cruel grin formed on his face. Many of the Genin nearby gave audible gulps when they heard Gaara ask that question, mainly because they were afraid of fighting him. The names of each Genin began to scramble rapidly on the screen for selection.

"When the two Genin are chosen, we ask the non competitors to step into the balconies on either side of the arena here." Hayate said, coughing loudly.

The names on the screen began to slow and finally came to a stop. _Uchiha Sasuke vs. Yoroi Akado _was listed on the screen as it stopped completely. The Genin did as they were told and cleared the arena for the two combatants.

* * *

Grimes and Anko looked at Sasuke with uneasiness. Anko was against having Sasuke fight at all for the prelims, but the council would throw a fit if the 'Last Uchiha' didn't get to partake. Grimes was in the same boat as Anko, but what made him more ticked was the fact that Kakashi was letting Sasuke fight, knowing he had the cursed seal on his neck. With Sasuke already unstable enough as it is, he was concerned the seal would make Sasuke batshit crazy.

He glanced at Kakashi who had finished whispering something in Sasuke's ear. Kakashi shunshined up onto the balcony and opened up his book. This made Grimes growl in anger at the sight. Anko heard this and looked at Grimes with some concern.

"What's wrong?" Anko asked, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"I'm going to stop this, tell the Hokage this match can't happen. I don't give two flaming shits if the council throws a fit about it. I'm not going to have a mentally unstable Genin partake in this match." Grimes replied.

Grimes **shunshined** up to the balcony where Kakashi was and stood behind him. Anko went to tell Hiruzen what Grimes told her. When she finished she saw the Sandaime look up to where Grimes and Kakashi were standing.

"Kakashi," Grimes said, trying to get his attention.

"What is it, Grimes?" Kakashi asked, not tearing his eyes away from his book.

"How can you be so calm about Sasuke entering this match? You know what Orochimaru did to him!"

"I trust him. If he uses the seal I'll simply stop the fight."

"Kakashi, you're making a mistake. If you let this go through, this will come back and haunt you."

"Don't tell me how to do my job, Wallcroft! He's my student, remember? You worry about your students and I'll worry about my own."

Whack! Wham! Grimes immediately slapped Kakashi's book out of his hand and slammed him into the wall. This gathered the attention of many Jounin and Genin from the skirmish. Kakashi was a little surprised at the sudden attack but glared at his fellow Jounin. Kurenai, Asuma and Gai went to pull Grimes off of Kakashi. They stopped instantly when he turned and glared at them with his eyes. The **genjutsu** around them vanished revealing the neon wisps.

"Don't come any closer! This is between me and this piece of shit, got it?" Grimes sneered.

The three Jounin felt themselves short of breath as they felt the killing intent coming at them. They nodded dumbly and took several steps back from the enraged Death Knight. Kakashi managed to punch Grimes across the face, breaking his hold on him. This was a bad idea when he did that. Kakashi felt three punches hit him and then a stinging sensation on his face. Grimes had punched Kakashi in the stomach, chest and nose. He then summoned one of his blades and slashed Kakashi across the face. Many of the room's occupants looked at the fight in shock. Kakashi wiped the blood from under his right eye and pulled out a kunai.

"I would advise you stop now, Hatake. You tread a dangerous ground if you are challenging me to a fight with blades. I suggest you stop or I'll cut out that fucking eye you're so goddamn proud of!" Grimes spat with malice.

"That's enough!" Hiruzen roared, appearing between them.

"What are you playing at, Hokage-Sama? You're just going to let that damn brat compete because the council will throw a fit about it if he doesn't?"

Hiruzen stopped and sent Grimes a glare. He didn't look intimidated at all and he stood his ground. Hiruzen sighed and rubbed his tired eyes.

"Grimes, while I agree with you on the fact Sasuke should not participate in this exam, I don't have much of a choice. If Orochimaru found out Sasuke was denied his fight, there's no telling what that bastard will do to the village. As for the council, they wouldn't be able to do anything about it since it is a shinobi conflict." Hiruzen informed.

"Fine, I'm not going to argue about this. But don't say I didn't warn either of you. When that Genin is killed in this fight, his blood is on your hands." Grimes spoke solemnly.

He covered his eyes with the **genjutsu** and **shunshined** back down to Anko and Hayate. Anko looked at him with some concern. He turned to her to see her questioning look and shook his head.

"I tried, Anko." Grimes said.

"So he's going to fight?" Anko asked with a scowl.

"Yeah."

There was a long pause between the two. Grimes looked at Sasuke and Yoroi who were glaring at each other. Sasuke had a sinister smirk etched across his face.

"Anko, tell Ibiki to get a body bag on standby." Grimes sighed, pulling out his cigarette.

Anko couldn't find any words to say, so she just nodded.

Hayate was given the order to proceed after the Hokage **shunshined** back down to his observation area. He nodded and cleared his throat.

"Let the fight between, Uchiha Sasuke and Akado Yoroi begin!" Hayate announced, stepping back.

* * *

(Fight is the same as the manga…up till now)

Sasuke just finished slamming Yoroi into the ground with a modified version of Lee's **Primary Lotus**, the **Lion's Barrage**. This made Gai and Lee furious that Sasuke had used his eyes to steal a dojo teaching without being in the dojo for training. But they kept impassive looks at the sight. Then it happened. Sasuke pulled out a kunai and jammed it into Yoroi's jugular vein, spraying blood all over the floor.

"Goddamn-it." Grimes muttered.

Grimes and Anko ran into the arena to stop the situation. Grimes pulled Sasuke off of Yoroi and slugged him across the jaw. Anko put her hand over Yoroi's vein trying to suppress the bleeding. Blood began to seep through her fingers and covered her hand completely. There was no chance to save Yoroi now.

Medics came to the arena with a stretcher and bandages. Anko removed her hands from Yoroi's neck for the medic to clean the wound and patch it up. The medic suppressed the wound and tried to locate Yoroi's pulse. Everyone in the arena was holding their breath in anticipation. The rookie nine watched as the medic whispered something to Grimes and Anko. Their faces were unreadable, but all of them could tell it wasn't good news.

Grimes set Yoroi's body down on the stretcher and zipped up the body bag. The medics carried Yoroi's corpse out of the arena. Grimes turned to see Kakashi put a hand on Sasuke's shoulder and **shunshin** away with him. Anko grabbed Grimes's hand and gently pulled him out of the arena. Names began to scroll through on the screen again, stopping on _Gaz Zanovich vs Samui_.

* * *

"Good luck, Zano," Mac said, patting him on the back.

Gaz nodded and hopped over the railing into the arena. He saw his opponent land before him and recognized her as the voluptuous Kumo shinobi. His face reddened when he saw her breasts bounce when she stood up.

"Get a grip of yourself, Zano. You're not a pervert!" Gaz muttered to himself.

"I know what you're thinking you perve." Samui said with a glare.

"I-I'm not a pervert, I…"

"We need to get moving here, so I'm going to start the match." Hayate announced.

"Fine."

"Begin!"

Gaz hopped back and summoned his rune blade. He held it at the ready and watched Samui carefully, waiting for her to make a move. Gaz barely managed to see Samui's hands move as she threw some shuriken at him. He quickly twirled his blade and managed to parry all the projectiles. Samui was immediately in front of him and threw a punch. Gaz caught the punch in his hand and delivered a kick into her stomach. She grabbed his leg with her free arm and tossed him away.

Gaz launched a **Death Coil **at Samui and caught her by surprise. She made two **bunshins** and used **Kawarimi**, changing places with the one to her right. The **Death Coil** slammed into her clone and it exploded with a crack. To Samui's shock, the shockwave was strong enough to make her lose her balance. Gaz summoned a **bunshin** of his own and sent it to the other clone.

Samui felt a punch meet her in the stomach and sent her skidding back. She looked up and gave a smirk. Gaz narrowed his eyes and managed to catch the last handsign the Samui just went through. A massive ball of fire formed and shot at Gaz, who blazed through his handsigns.

**"Doryuu Heki,"** Gaz whispered, slamming his palms into the ground.

A wall of earth formed in front of him just in time and the ball of fire slammed into it. There was a small explosion covering the arena in dust. When it cleared, it revealed a shattered wall of earth and Gaz pinned under some of the rubble. Naruto and Mac could tell Gaz was still conscious and must be trying to distract her from something. Samui walked over to Gaz who coughed up some blood.

"I was thinking you'd be more of a challenge. I guess I was wrong." Samui taunted.

"You care to repeat that?" Gaz asked glaring at Samui.

"I said that you are pathetic."

"If I were her, I'd run." Grimes muttered.

"Well, I must tell you this. I was testing your strength, and you know what? You hit like an old lady."

Samui jumped at Gaz, ready to finish the fight. What she didn't notice was Gaz smeering some of his blood on the ground. He waited until Samui got closer and then made his move. Just as Samui was about to deliver an axe kick to the back of Gaz's head, the rubble began to shake.

"Now, Walter!" Gaz barked.

The rubble exploded and an undead ghoul shot out of the rubble. Samui was caught off by surprise and horror at the creature in front of her. Walter tackled Samui into the ground and swiped at her with his boney hands. Many of the Genin looked at Walter in horror, just wondering what it was. The only people who looked impassive of this were teams eight, seven, and thirteen.

"What the hell is this thing?" Samui shouted in fear.

"My personal summon, and at this rate, your worst nightmare." Gaz replied.

Samui brought her foot up and attempted the personal pervert removal, the foot to the groin. Her foot made contact with Walter's crotch, but he didn't flinch. She then did the next best thing and pushed Walter over her using her foot. Gaz and Samui both made **bunshins** to overwhelm each other. Samui sent her **bunshin** to deal with Walter while Gaz used his to attack Samui's **bunshin**.

_"I gotta get to Walter. If I can just get the **Doryuu Armor** on him, this match is mine!"_ Gaz thought.

Samui pulled out a kunai and slashed at Gaz who wrapped his arm around hers and delivered a kick into her stomach. He then proceeded to pull Samui over his shoulder and slammed her into the ground. Samui hacked up some blood from the brutal slam and dropped her kunai.

Gaz picked up the kunai and tossed it towards Samui's **bunshin** and hit it in the back. The **bunshin **exploded, which gave Gaz time to cover Walter in the earth armor. He used the **Kawarimi** and placed his hand on Walter's shoulder covering him in the heavy rock armor. Walter quickly pushed Gaz out of the way and took a sudden hit from a giant fireball.

Walter was hit so hard, his legs were detached from the blow of the fireball. He was sent airborne and landed in a heap. Gaz glared at Samui who grabbed him by his shirt. She glared at him and launched a chakra powered kick across his head. Gaz was sent skidding across the arena kicking up parts of the floor before slamming into the wall.

Samui **shunshined** over to Gaz grabbed him by his shirt again and began to send chakra powered punches into his body. Each punch caused Gaz to hack up blood from the brutal strength. Samui threw him into the air and kicked him in the stomach with one last chakra powered kick. Gaz was sent airborne and crashed in the center of the arena. Samui picked up his sword which he dropped earlier after being kicked across the room and **shunshined** over to him.

Gaz opened his eyes to see Samui towering over him. She pointed his blade at his throat and glared at him. He glared back, not even chancing on giving up. Even though he probably wasn't going to win this match since he was sure Samui was way too strong to be a Genin, he wasn't going down alone. He noticed Walter dragging himself over to Samui who hadn't seen him. Gaz inwardly smirked at his chance and decided to bide Walter enough time.

"Has anyone told you how nice your breasts look?" Gaz asked, knowing she was probably going to hurt him badly.

"One too many, although I like the complement that my body is desirable, I dislike perverts." Samui replied.

"Awe, well that's too bad. If you gave me the chance, I could've given you a nice massage."

Samui's face flushed slightly and she brought Gaz's blade down for a strike. Gaz spread his legs and scooted back, narrowly avoiding being neutered. Walter was just upon Samui and stretched his arm up to grasp the back of her jacket. Gaz made his move. He jumped up, pinned Samui's arms to her sides and kissed her. Samui's eyes widened in surprise, as did many others in the room. Gaz broke away and saw Samui's faraway look.

"Walter, **Corpse Explosion**!" Gaz barked.

Walter gave a toothy grin and grabbed Samui's jacket, breaking her out of her trance. She now realized that she was just tricked. Samui turned to try and pry Walter off of her, but was stopped when Gaz wrapped his arms around her, immobilizing her completely. Walter had grown twice the size and cackled madly.

**"Walter go boom!"** Walter cried, glowing white.

A thunderous explosion filled the arena, and blocked everyone's view. Many of the Genin all thought that Gaz was crazy for getting himself caught in his own explosion. Many of the guys weren't sure whether to praise him for the smart distraction or envy him from kissing a hot kunoichi. When the dust cleared, two figures could be seen inside a small crater. Gaz was laying on his side, covered in some severe burns and cuts. This surprised many of the shinobi in the room. He went out of his way to protect his opponent from serious harm by shielding her with his body.

Samui stirred and opened her eyes to notice she was lying in a crater. She noticed that Gaz had shielded her from the explosion at the last second. When she considered getting up, she decided to stay down. The match would end with a draw.

Hayate walked over to the crater and coughed as he looked at the two of them. He signaled for the medics to bring two stretchers. The medics hustled to the crater and gently pulled the two of them out and onto the stretchers.

"The result of this match is a double knockout. Neither combatant will proceed to the finals." Hayate announced.

The room applauded the two shinobi that fought well with both wit and strength. Mac and Naruto looked at each other and shook their heads. That fight was good, but they knew that Gaz could've won if he didn't shield Samui. But he did what a fellow shinobi would do to protect an ally in battle. Names began to scroll on the screen for the next match.

* * *

**(A/N: Didn't want to take the time for every fight, so I chose to do the fights that I think the readers will enjoy. So each fight is the same as the canon.)**

_Yamanak Ino vs Haruno Sakura_, the match ended in a draw after a long drawn out fangirl rant. _Aburame Shino vs Abumi Zaku_, Shino won the fight by using his bugs to cut off the chakra in Zaku's arms. When he tried to use them they exploded. _Nara Shikamaru vs Tsuchi Kin_, Shikamaru won with a forced knockout with his **Kage Mane no Jutsu**. _Sabaku no Temari vs TenTen_, Temari won using a long ranged attack with her fan. _Sabaku no Kankuro vs Misume_, Kankuro won by using his puppet as bait and tricked Misumi into attacking it as a decoy.

The names continued going through each contestant one by one. Naruto and Mac were beginning to get impatient at waiting for their match to come. Finally, the names stopped on the screen reading, _Uzumaki Naruto vs Inuzuka Kiba_. Naruto let out a whoop and hopped into the arena. Kiba smirked and looked at Naruto, believing this was going to be an easy fight.

"We got lucky, Akamaru! We're going against the loser!" Kiba boasted.

"Well fuckstick, don't keep me waiting!" Naruto retorted.

Grimes and Anko **shunshined** to the balcony to stand by Asuma, Kurenai, Kakashi, and Gai. Grimes looked at Kurenai and smirked at her in with confidence.

"Well, Grimes, I hope you have faith in Mac because I believe Naruto won't win this fight." Kurenai taunted.

"Oh really? Well if you're so confident, let's make a bet?" Grimes replied.

"What will the bet be?"

"If Kiba wins, I am your slave for the rest of the week. If Naruto wins, I take you out to dinner tonight. Deal?"

Asuma and Kakashi shook their heads, already knowing that Kurenai would decline the bet. She attempted going out with guys since she was convinced the whole Konoha population of men were a bunch of perverts. Imagine their surprise when they heard her reply.

"Deal!" Kurenai said, shaking Grimes hand.

They turned to look at their students, both of them thinking the same thought. _"Don't you lose this!"_

* * *

Naruto and Kiba stared each other down as they waited for Hayate to signal their match. Naruto had finished his plan on how to defeat Kiba, all he need was to get Kiba to melt his ice and he will get him with one shot. Hayate walked between the two of them and coughed again.

"Dude, do you need a cough drop or something? I got one in my pocket here." Naruto asked, holding a small red pill.

Hayate sent him an annoyed look but took the cough drop and popped it in his mouth.

"Let the match between, Inuzuka Kiba and Uzumaki Naruto, commence." Hayate said.

Naruto wanted to see what Kiba could do, so he stood still and waited for Kiba to hit him. He got his wish when Kiba suddenly appeared in front of him and decked him in the gut with a tackle. Naruto skidded back and analyzed the blow. It wasn't that strong, but Kiba was probably holding back. He stood up and smirked at Kiba who growled at him.

"Is that all you got, Kiba? I bet you'd probably be more of a threat to me if you send your master in!" Naruto taunted.

"Akamaru's not my master!" Kiba shouted.

"Akamaru, please humor me and aid your pet."

Kiba ran at Naruto, completely forgetting Naruto could manipulate ice without handsigns. Naruto grinned and held up his hand. Ice shot up from the ground and tangled around Kiba's legs slowing him down.

"What the hell?" Kiba said, looking down at his feet.

Naruto gave a roundhouse kick to Kiba's head and sent him staggering to the wall. Kiba glared at Naruto and motioned for Akamaru to come over to him. Akamaru swallowed the pill Kiba tossed to him and began to grow twice his normal size. Akamaru hopped on Kiba's back and transformed into Kiba.

"Ah, **Beast Mimicry**?" Naruto inquired.

"That's right, loser. This match is mine!" Kiba replied, dashing at Naruto.

"Well come and get me, fleabag!"

Kiba and Akamaru came at Naruto from opposite sides. Naruto quickly brought his hands up to face Kiba and channeled his runic power.

**"Hungering Cold,"** Naruto muttered.

A block of ice froze Kiba in place, which gave him time to deal with Akamaru. Naruto caught Akamaru's claws and headbutted him. Akamaru stumbled back in pain and Naruto swept his legs out from under him. As soon as Akamaru landed on his back Naruto delivered an Axe Kick into his stomach. Akamaru cried in pain and dispelled the **henge**.

"You're gonna pay for that!" Kiba yelled, going through handsigns.

Naruto noticed the signs and realized Kiba was getting ready to use a fire jutsu. He waited for Kiba to finish so he could make his move. He needed to make his Ice weak enough to be melted. Kiba finished the last handsign and enhaled.

**"Katon: Dai Endan!"** Kiba hollered.

A massive ball of fire shot at Naruto who raised his hands. It seems he would have to make a stronger ice wall to avoid getting burned from the fire. He waited for the fireball to get near him for better effect. Naruto casted another **Hungering Cold** and made a massive wall of ice. The ball hit the wall of ice and made a hissing noise as it was absorbed. The ice melted into a large puddle of water.

Grimes finally caught on to Naruto's idea and smirked. Naruto must've been planning to hit Kiba with a strong form of water jutsu. If he was correct it would involve the **Suiryuudan no Jutsu**. Kurenai had her eyes narrowed in suspicion as she tried to anticipate Naruto's plan. Back in the arena, Kiba smirked thinking that his jutsu was stronger than Naruto's after seeing it melt so easily. He threw some kunai at Naruto who dodged them all. Naruto caught the last one before it went completely past him and wrapped a paper around it.

"Hey, fleabag!" Naruto called.

"What?" Kiba asked, glaring at Naruto.

"I think now would be a good time to tell you that you just allowed yourself to be defeated. I wanted you to make the ice into water since I have an affinity for it, so now I have the advantage since I got the terrain in place. You will be the first test subject on my new Jutsu here."

Naruto tossed the kunai back at Kiba and closed his eyes after forming a sign with his hand. Everyone was blinded and deafened when the kunai exploded in a blast of white light and a loud bang **(A/N: Gotta love the flashbang kunai, lol)**. Once their vision and hearing came back they saw Naruto and a **bunshin** going through multiple handsigns. The **bunshin** finished his last handsign and a whirlwind picked up catching the attention of a certain wind mistress.

_"He has a wind affinity? That's a plus in my book!"_ Temari thought, with a grin.

Kiba just regained his vision to see Naruto finish his last handsign. The puddle rippled before a large water dragon shot out of it. The wind picked the dragon up in the air and began carrying it around with the gale. The wind blew directly at Kiba who stood petrified at seeing the flying water dragon coming directly to him.

**"Fuuton: Suiryuudan Soaring Strike!"** Naruto hollered.

The dragon slammed directly into Kiba's stomach, blasting him off his feet. Kiba crashed into the wall leaving a body crater indented in it. He fell to the floor and hacked out some blood before passing out.

_"Very interesting. He combined two affinity attacks into one and was able to control it with his wind affinity. And to top it off, the power of that jutsu is around A-ranked. This boy never ceases to amaze me."_ Hiruzen thought with a grin.

Kurenai looked at Naruto in disbelief. That jutsu was incredibly strong. And to top it off, it was his specially made jutsu. She sighed in defeat and turned to see Grimes grinning broadly at her. She smiled back. A deal was a deal, but maybe she would enjoy this date.

"Shousha, Uzumaki Naruto!" Hayate announced.

* * *

Naruto bounded up the stairs in victory and walked up to Mac and Hinata who were smiling. Hinata was hoping that Naruto would see her as a stronger shinobi after her match was done with. Names began to scroll through one the screen again and stopped on two names. _Hyuuga Hinata vs Hyuuga Neji_. Hinata saw this and was surprised when she felt calm for some strange reason. She didn't feel like she could lose, she felt like she could win and be seen as a strong kunoichi. Is this what confidence felt like?

Hinata took a deep breath and hopped into the arena and looked Neji in the eyes. He was glaring at her with hate. She frowned at the sight, knowing he was still mad at the Main Branch for what they did to his father. So he would take his anger out on her. She would fight back as best as she can. Never again was she going to cower in fear.

"Let the match between, Hyuuga Hinata and Hyuuga Neji begin!" Hayate announced.

* * *

**Ah, I know you all must think I'm a dick for leaving a cliffhanger there, but trust me, it'll be worth it. Hinata's fight will be one of the best fights I plan to write in the story thus far. I will conclude the preliminaries in the next chapter, but I will probably keep doing the match skips to make them same as the anime. (Matches to come yet are: Hinata, Ryuzaki and Mac). Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. See you next time!-CaptainPrice**

**Jutsu:**

**Fuuton: Suiryuudan Soaring strike- (Own creation. The user makes a gale of wind using their wind affinity and then summons a water dragon to be carried by the wind for a short period of time. The dragon has the privelage of hitting many targets before dissipating.)**


	15. Chunin Exam Part 3: Preliminaries Finale

**Alright, here's the next update for, 'Shinobi of the Ebon Blade'! Read and Review as always. Hope you enjoy the fights, I thought I did a decent job on them. Anyway, time to, as they say in Monty Python and The Holy Grail in large crowds 'GET ON WITH IT!1one!1'**

**Warning: Hinata may seem a little OOC in this part of the story, but trust me, I think it works out fine. **

**Disclaimer- I do NOT own Naruto or WoW. I DO own the OC's (Mac, Gaz, Grimes, and Ryuzaki), the story, and the idea of the story itself.**

**Bold-Inner Sakura/Kyuubi/Jutsu/Death Knight Abilities**

_Italics-Thoughts/Letters/Flashbacks_

_**Bold Italics- Song lyrics**_

* * *

Hinata watched as Neji sunk into the Jyuuken Stance. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before sinking into the Jyuuken Stance. Her eyes opened to reveal the Byakugan active and ready for battle. Neji didn't like the fact that Hinata wasn't showing fear about their match and decided to try and play some mind games with her. Little did he know that Hinata was no longer one to take mind games to heart and quite frankly, he would be on the receiving end of his own game.

"Just give up, Hinata. You and I both know that you don't stand a chance against me. Even your own father knows you're too weak to beat me. Then of course, you can't even beat your little sister." Neji taunted.

"_Okay…now I'm mad._" Hinata thought.

"Did it ever occur to your pea sized brain that I was just going easy on my sister? I'm not one for violence against my own family, unlike _you _dear cousin!" Hinata sneered with venom.

"What did you just say?"

"You heard me. I'm not the one who gets hostile against my family when reminded of something that was completely out of their control."

"_Careful, Hinata. You're treading a dangerous ground with Neji with those taunts._" Kurenai thought.

The reaction Neji gave made Hinata smirk. He charged at her, Byakugan blazing. Rapid palm strikes came at Hinata. Hinata watched Neji's movements carefully and dodged all of his attacks. This made Neji furious, resulting in him leaving himself exposed for an attack.

"_There!_" Hinata thought.

Hinata ducked under Neji's arm and delivered a double palm strike to his ribs. Neji hopped back in disbelief and coughed, hacking up some blood. He was in shock that Hinata managed to hit him and he cursed himself for leaving an opening. Neji pulled out some shuriken and threw them towards Hinata. He smirked knowing they were too fast to be evaded, but he was aghast at what Hinata did next.

"Kaiten!" Hinata muttered.

She began rotating fast, creating a protective shield of chakra. The shuriken bounced off of the shield and landed on the floor. Neji was too surprised and angry that he didn't even recognize Hinata going through multiple hand signs. Her hands came together in the final sign and the water on the floor rippled a little bit.

"Let's see how you like this, Neji." Hinata said.

Neji barely had time to register what Hinata said before he saw multiple globs of water flying at him. He growled in anger as he dodged each of the bullets, but when he landed to avoid one, another bullet hit him directly in the chest. He gave a cry in pain as he was launched off his feet and sent crashing to the floor. Hinata stood up slowly and narrowed her eyes at Neji, waiting for him to get up. She knew he wouldn't go down that easily since he had a grudge against her and would go very far to inflict as much pain as possible.

Hinata saw Neji stand up and glare at her with hate. She shook her head at this and got ready to be on the defensive. Neji dashed forward and began throwing some more palm strikes at Hinata and she kept on dodging them with grace. Seeing this, Neji decided to change his game a little bit. He sent both palms to Hinata's chest and she blocked them with hers. They glared at each other briefly but Neji smirked and gave a roundhouse kick to Hinata's side. Her eyes caught this and she leapt away. Jyuuken kicks were twice as damaging as palms, if she got hit, it could quickly lead to her defeat.

She leapt away, but not fast enough. The kick hit Hinata directly in her arm making her wince in pain. Cursing herself for not being fast enough, she rested a hand on her jacket zipper.

"_I need to lose some weight to move faster… I just hope I don't draw too much attention._" Hinata thought with a light blush.

Hinata unzipped her jacket and ripped it off, holding it in her hands. This resulted in many men having some nose bleeds as well as some jealous female Genin. She was quite developed for her age which is why she hid herself in her jacket. She managed to catch a glimpse of Naruto's face which made her blush brightly. He was staring at her, jaw dropped and his nose was bleeding.

"No wonder she wore that jacket, those things are freaking watermelons!" Naruto said with amazement.

Kurenai slapped Naruto at the back of the head for that remark. Although, she was quite happy that he seemed to notice Hinata for being a woman.

"_Show off!_" Ino thought.

"_Those breasts should be mine, not that slut's!_" Sakura thought with rage. "**Maybe that's why Sasuke-kun doesn't look at us…**" **Inner Sakura** mused, resting her hands on her flat torso.

"_Why do I suddenly want to hurt, Sakura-San?_" Hinata pondered.

Hinata looked up and saw Neji rush her. She threw her jacket at him and jumped at him with a flying kick. Neji ducked under the jacket but didn't see Hinata above him. He looked up only to be met with the heel of her foot. He stumbled back from the blow, his nose bleeding greatly. Neji threw a couple kunai at Hinata and they managed to hit her. One in her shoulder, unintentionally cutting her shirt open a little, and the other met embedded itself in her forearm.

She winced in pain and pulled out the kunai in her shoulder. She sent it at Neji who sidestepped it. Hinata then pulled out the one in her forearm and slowly licked the blood off the kunai. This made Neji shiver a little since it made him nervous. In fact, it made many males in the vicinity tremble at the sight. Anko, however, felt herself grinning at that since it was something she liked to do a lot.

"Come on, Neji. Let's have some close combat fun!" Hinata said with a smirk.

Neji pulled out a kunai and parried a slash that came from Hinata. Many clangs filled the room as the kunai hit each other in a strike. Neji and Hinata brought back their kunai and stabbed down at each other. They bother grabbed the other's wrist to prevent being stabbed from the sharp knife. Both broke free of each other's grip and gave a swipe. Hinata was kneeling down while Neji was holding his chest. Hinata wiped some blood away from her cheek with her fist. Neji pulled his hand away too see the palm covered in blood.

"You bitch!" Neji whispered, glaring at his cousin.

"Oh, did I cut your perfect skin? Boo-hoo!" Hinata retorted.

"What's with you all of a sudden? What happened to the old weak Hinata?"

"I was never weak, Neji. In fact, you should know shinobi love to hide their abilities and potential to fool their enemies. Or have you forgotten that?"

Neji growled and jumped at Hinata with a stab. Hinata dodged his stab and wrapped her arm around his before bringing her head back and slamming it into Neji's. He stumbled back from the powerful headbut and Hinata rubbed her forehead a little. Evidently she made a mistake and accidently hit Neji's forehead protector instead of his face.

"_Oh dear, I think I may have gone a little overboard with this fight… I must've been to bent on proving to Neji I could beat him that I completely forgot that I was just fighting to prove to everyone that I'm a good kunoichi. This has just become a brutal slugfest._" Hinata thought.

She brought her hands together finishing another hand sign. The water rippled and once again, bullets of water were sent at Neji. He recovered from his unexpected headache and looked up to see Hinata's water bullets soaring towards him again. He cursed angrily and prepared to block the strike.

"_I can't believe this weakling is making me use my ultimate defense!_" Neji roared in his mind.

"Kaiten!" Neji yelled.

Hinata's eyes widened as she saw Neji block her water bullets with the Kaiten like she did with his shuriken. It surprised her that Neji learned the Kaiten, but then again he was the prodigy of the Hyuuga Clan. He must have learned the Kaiten from watching her father perform it during one of his many personal training sessions.

"I'm impressed, Neji. You mastered a Main Branch technique at such a young age." Hinata complimented.

"Are you mocking me?" Neji asked dangerously.

"No, not at all."

"Well, I've fooled around long enough. This match ends now."

He sunk into another stance which made Hinata's eyes widen again. That was one of the strongest attack stances the Hyuuga family used. Neji looked up and smirked at Hinata. He would win this fight right here and now.

"_Hakke Rokujuuyonshuo,_" Hinata and Neji both thought.

"You are in my range of divination, Hinata…" Neji muttered.

"Two Palms!" Hinata dodged both.

"Four Palms!" She dodged three of them.

"Eight Palms!" Hinata dodged half of them.

"Sixteen Palms!"

"Thirty-Two Palms!"

"Sixty-Four Palms!"

After the barrage of strikes was over, Hinata skidded back on the floor. She managed to dodge a few of them, but the majority of them sealed a lot of her tenketsu points. She coughed and hacked some blood up on the floor. Neji glared at her in rage that she managed to dodge some of the strikes, so she could still use some chakra, but not much.

"_I'm almost out of chakra. I need to end this now._" Hinata thought, gritting her teeth.

"Don't bother continuing, Hinata. You lost this fight. I closed off most of your tenketsu to the point you can't use any jutsu." Neji said.

"No… I've come this far. I'm not going down that easily, Neji!" Hinata snapped back.

Neji closed his eyes and sighed with a shake of his head. He channeled chakra into his palms to deliver the final strike. Hinata did the same and began to run at Neji. Neji closed the gap between them and they both threw their strikes. The two of them stopped dead and were looking away from each other. Hinata gagged and staggered back, looking at Neji who was looking down at the floor. Neji's attack hit her right in the stomach.

"Now you're gonna…you're gonna…" Hinata trailed off and fell to her back.

Her vision was going dark and she cursed herself for not delivering enough power to her strike to finish Neji off.

"_Damn-it…_" Hinata thought before she blacked out.

Hayate went over to check and see if Hinata was knocked out. When he confirmed she was, he cleared his throat.

"The winner of the match, Hyuuga Neji-." He began, but stopped when he saw Neji hit the floor as well.

"Uh, this match is a draw. Neither participant will proceed to the final round." Hayate confirmed.

"Hinata!" Naruto and Kurenai yelled, jumping down to her.

Naruto sat Hinata up in his arms and smiled down at her. That was one of the coolest fights he ever saw in his life. Even more amazing than his fight with Gato.

"Nice job, Hinata-Chan." Naruto whispered.

He could have sworn that he saw Hinata smile after he said that.

* * *

Naruto **Shunshined** up to the balcony and sat Hinata against the wall. Kurenai fished out a small healing salve from Hinata's jacket and rubbed some of the cream on her kunai wounds. Names began to scroll through on the board again. _Rock Lee vs. Sabaku no Gaara_, Gaara defeated Lee and almost killed him until Gai intervened and stopped the match. _Choji vs. Dosu_, Dosu won by sending sound waves into Choji's body while he was in his Human Boulder. The next names that stopped were, _Ryuzaki Sanderson vs. Omoi_.

* * *

Ryuzaki was relieved he was finally able to fight. He jumped into the arena and saw his opponent do the same. His opponent, too, used kenjutsu. This made Ryuzaki grin since he hadn't fought a swordsman in a long time. Omoi put a sucker in his mouth and looked at Ryuzaki with a bored expression.

"Don't disappoint me, kid." Omoi said.

"Oh, believe me, I won't." Ryuzaki replied.

"Let the match between, Ryuzaki Sanderson and Omoi, commence!" Hayate said, hopping away.

"Okay, I'll shake your bouncy booty. Karui, press play!" Omoi barked.

"_That came out wrong… and is he seriously playing music? Don't know why you'd want to get your ass kicked to a soundtrack._" Ryuzaki thought with a sweatdrop.

Ryuzaki pulled out his blade and pointed it at Omoi who pointed his blade at him. The music began to play which made Ryuzaki twitch in annoyance.

_**There's got to be a morning after… **_

"Damn-it, Karui! That ain't cool!" Omoi yelled.

The red head was rolling on the floor laughing at Omoi's priceless expression.

"_Oh, hell no. This music has to go!_" Ryuzaki thought.

Ryuzaki pulled out a shuriken, threw it, and it crashed into the radio. Omoi looked at his radio in horror at the damage while Karui stopped laughing and walked away holding her hands up. The music changed and began to play a different beat.

_**I may have made some mistakes  
That cost me more than my pride  
But somewhere along the way  
That part of me finally died  
That part of me never tried**_

"Ah, that's much better!" Ryuzaki said.

"What is this garbage?" Omoi asked.

"Do not mock the power of rock!"

"_Amen to that, Ryuzaki. Amen indeed._" Thought the Death Knights.

Ryuzaki dashed forward and smashed his blade against Omoi's, causing it to tremble in his hands. Omoi pushed Ryuzaki's blade away and threw a punch at his face. Ryuzaki caught the punch and drove his knee into Omoi's stomach causing him to go up in smoke.

"**Kage-Bunshin?**" Ryuzaki asked in surprise.

"That's right, mother fucker!" Omoi yelled from behind him.

_**Some part of me still alive  
Here in the bed that I made  
Can't sleep 'cause my conscience keeps me awake  
Keeps me awake**_

Omoi slashed at Ryuzaki and he dodged with a duck. The blade went over Ryuzaki's head and almost cut his hat in half. Ryuzaki drove the heel of his foot directly into Omoi's chin knocking him back. He tackled Omoi after pushing his shoulder deep into his stomach.

_**IT'S COMIN'  
DON'T RUN IT AWAY**_

Ryuzaki winced in pain as Omoi smashed his elbow onto his back. He fell to the floor and hacked up some blood. It was at this point Ryuzaki noticed his hat was gone. His eyes widened before narrowing to slits. That was rule number one about him. Never, under any circumstances, touch his hat. He looked up and noticed Omoi holding his hat over his fist. When he pulled out a kunai, that's when Ryuzaki lost his cool.

"Put down the hat…now!" Ryuzaki yelled.

"I always wanted to make a hat carving," Omoi replied, cutting the hat with his kunai.

_**Yeah, how bittersweet is Karma  
Now you've done it you own it  
Know that it's coming  
Don't change for nothing  
We all feel karma now**_

Ryuzaki **Shunshined** over to Omoi and gave a swift uppercut into his chin. He then delivered two punches to his stomach, followed by a roundhouse kick to the head. Omoi stumbled away and knelt down from the crushing blows to his person. He didn't think the kid would get that mad over a hat being cut, obviously he was wrong. Meanwhile, Ryuzaki, picked up his hat and noticed a crude smiley face was carved on the top of it. He snapped his fingers to get Omoi's attention. Omoi looked up and saw Ryuzaki pointing to his now destroyed hat. Ryuzaki was glaring at him, finger pointed to his hat, shaking his head.

"You did NOT just do this!" Ryuzaki hissed.

"I didn't think it would be such a big deal!" Omoi retorted.

_**The clock never stops to breathe  
The tears in the well  
I cause help me see  
Theres no better place to be  
Than right where you are  
Until you go through the fall  
Go through it all**_

It seemed ironic that the song that was playing would soon be Omoi's predicament. Ryuzaki put his hat back on and slammed his blade down on Omoi's. The two of them glared at each other as they tried to overpower the other. Ryuzaki was currently winning and pushed Omoi away before giving a quick slash. The sound of clothes ripping filled the area as Ryuzaki cut open Omoi's shirt.

_**IT'S COMIN'  
DON'T RUN IT AWAY**_

Ryuzaki gripped the hilt of his blade with both hands and channeled his chakra into it. The blade began to glow red and throbbed with power. He swung the blade at Omoi and a giant wave of fire soared at Omoi. This caught a lot of people by surprise when they saw this. It seemed Ryuzaki's blade had the abilitly to send blasts of elemental chakra at the opponent depending on the amount of chakra pumped into the blade. The elemental chakra blasts from a sword went in the order of water, earth, wind, fire, and then lightning.

A lot of the Jonin were surprised that Ryuzaki was able to perform such a technique. However, this made one Jonin very suspicious. Kakashi narrowed his widened eyes after seeing Ryuzaki do that attack. He had seen that attack before, and there was only one shinobi that was able to do it. And that shinobi was none other than, Uchiha Itachi. **(Bit of a hint and some important background here)**

_**Yeah, how bittersweet is Karma  
Now you've done it you own it  
Know that it's coming  
Don't change for nothing  
We all feel karma now  
How bittersweet is Karma  
Now you've done it you own it  
Know that it's coming  
Don't change for nothing  
We all feel karma now **_

Omoi found himself dodging the chakra powered attacks. He realized he brought this on himself and mentally wished he could go back and stop himself for destroying Ryuzaki's hat. He flipped over a water strike and rolled to the side to avoid being impaled by the earth spears. Omoi gripped his blade and channeled chakra into it as well. His technique was different however. Omoi waited for the next attack to get within range of him and slashed upward with his blade.

Ryuzaki's attack was sent towards the ceiling and it burst, causing some chunks to fall from the ceiling. The rocks began to shower the floor and Omoi swung his blade again. Lightning shot as a beam towards Ryuzaki, smashing through the falling concrete. Ryuzaki swung his blade again, raising a pillar of earth to shield the attack. The bolt of lightning shot directly through the pillar just a few inches above Ryuzaki's head. He quickly made a Bunshin and ordered it to stay put while he used the cover of the dust to hide from Omoi.

_**Where do you think it can go  
(Think it can go)  
Asking for help but the answer is no  
(The answer is no)  
What do you do when karma comes down  
(What do you do)**_

_**WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU CAN DO?**_

The dust cleared and Omoi saw he blasted a hole completely through the pillar of earth. This made him grin since he thought he managed to get Ryuzaki. He walked to the pillar, sword at the ready to engage him. When he got there, he saw Ryuzaki lying there covered in cuts and dirt. He pointed his blade at Ryuzaki and gave a grin.

"Well, I must admit you did give me a bit of a workout." Omoi said.

"I told you that I would." Ryuzaki coughed.

"And you kept to it, I'm impressed."

"Same here… but by the end of this song, you'll be paralyzed."

"Uh-huh, yeah, you're kind of caught right here."

_**Yeah my karma's here it seems  
Always a step behind me**_

"Oh, I can fix that no problem!"

"Proctor, call the match. I have him caught right here!"

"It's not over until I say it is. And according to my senses, he's got the upper hand at the moment." Hayate replied.

"What?"

"He mean's this!"

Omoi saw Ryuzaki go up in a puff of smoke in front of him. This made his eyes widen in realization when he felt Ryuzaki's chakra surge behind him. He turned to see Ryuzaki sprinting towards him, his blade crackling with lightning. Omoi channeled chakra into his blade and it too began to crackle with electricity. The two of them struck and their blades connected. Loud bangs of thunder began to echo around the room, making it shake. The lightning began to engulf the two combatants as their blades remained connected.

Both of them were gritting their teeth trying to resist the shocks that came to them, stronger with each passing second. Ryuzaki, deciding to end it now, began to channel the rest of his chakra into his blade. His blade began to glow pure white. The bright light filled the room blinding everybody. Everyone heard a loud cry of pain and suddenly, the light vanished, revealing Omoi lying on his back, struggling to move.

_**Yeah, how bittersweet is Karma  
Now you've done it you own it  
Know that it's coming  
Don't change for nothing  
We all feel karma now  
How bittersweet is Karma  
Now you've done it you own it  
Know that it's coming  
Don't change for nothing  
We all feel karma  
All feel karma now **_

Ryuzaki pointed his blade at Omoi's chest to make it an official checkmate. Hayate walked over to the two of them and looked down at Omoi. Omoi was struggling as hard as he could to move, but had no success. Hayate nodded his head, showing that the match was done. When Ryuzaki used that last chakra powered attack, it must've overpowerd Omoi and shocked the nerves in his body, signaling his paralysis.

"Winner of the match, Ryuzaki Sanderson!" Hayate announced.

The medics came into the room carrying a stretcher. Ryuzaki, being a good sport, helped set Omoi on the stretcher. He picked up Omoi's blade, set it by his side and patted him on the shoulder before shunshining up to the balcony. Finally, the last match was upon them. The last two names on the screen appeared, _Mac Compton vs. Karui_.

* * *

Mac nodded at Naruto and Grimes before jumping into the arena. He made his way to the center of the arena and saw Omoi's last teammate walk up to him. The two of them sent each other a glare to signify their view on the fight. Neither of them was going to go down that easily.

"Let the final match between, Mac Compton and Karui, begin!" Hayate announced, hopping back.

Mac jumped away and pulled out his blade, pointing it at Karui. Karui pointed her blade at Mac and gave a cocky smirk. He glared at her before holding his hand out towards her. This confused many people when Mac did this. Karui thought he was taunting her and gave a low growl. This of course changed when a purple arm shot out of his hand and wrapped itself around Karui's leg. Her eyes widened in surprise when she was pulled toward Mac.

Thinking quickly, Karui made two Bunshins like her teammate did in her fight and used Kawarimi. Mac noticed that he put himself in the same situation Gaz was in during his fight. He quickly made two Bunshins as well and charged the three. Mac got close enough to swing at Karui and channeled some chakra into his blade.

"**Fuuton: Kazekiri no Jutsu!**" Mac yelled, swinging his blade.

All of Mac's clones did the same thing and swung their chakra filled blades. Razor sharp disks of wind soared towards Karui. All of them made contact with each **Bunshin**, including the original Karui who used **Kawarimi** with the **Bunshin** on her right. Karui felt blood run down her stomach and put pressure on the wound. That was a clever move on Mac's part. Using a long ranged attack at pointblank range was very smart since it was a swift attack.

Karui rolled to the right and avoided a slash from Mac. She took the opportunity to pull a 360 degree spin, to hit all of the clones and Mac himself. Mac winced in pain as he felt the blade slice into his back. He glared back at Karui and brought his fist down on her wrist. Karui dropped her blade in surprise. Mac kicked the blade back up and caught it with his other hand. He smirked at Karui but his victory quickly turned to pain as lightning shocked his hand. He dropped Karui's blade and she caught it. She then kicked Mac in the chest, knocking the wind out of him.

Mac felt his runic power was fully charged and decided to start using it. He leapt at Karui and got inside her guard, pulling out a kunai in the process. He gave three quick slashes, cutting her arm, shoulder, and tore part of her shirt open. Karui was shocked to see the slash on Mac's back heal completely. This scared her a little bit since it seemed like something from a vampire novel.

"What the hell? How did your wound heal?" Karui demanded.

"I used a special ability of mine. When I manage to cut my opponent with a weapon, it connects my soul to theirs. By doing this, I steal some of your blood. In this case, I must've taken more white blood cells since my cut is now gone." Mac replied.

"What the hell are you, you freak!"

"Awe, that's not very nice."

Karui lunged at Mac from close range. What she didn't expect was her sword to rebound completely off his clothes. Her hands went numb after doing that. It felt as though she punched a wall hundreds of times. Mac smirked at her and wagged his finger in a 'no-no' way. This made Karui's cheeks flush red with anger.

"You would've had me there, too bad for you I can manipulate ice like my friend from earlier." Mac

"That doesn't explain how my blade didn't hit you though!" Karui snapped.

"This is why."

Mac lifted part of his shirt up to reveal a plated chest of ice shining brightly. It dispersed and his skin was once again normal. Karui took the opportunity and plunged her blade through Mac's stomach. His eyes widened in surprise and a look of shock spread across his face from the sudden cheap shot, but it turned to a malevolent grin.

Many people in the balcony looked disgusted at the cowardly attack, but it changed when the saw something appearing from the puddle of Mac's blood. Giant pink worms climbed out of the puddle and latched themselves onto Karui's legs and back. She gave a surprised cry in pain and shock when she felt fangs pierce her skin. Hey eyes turned to Mac to see the stab wound in his stomach heal again. Before she was mad, now she was terrified. The Genin before her wasn't human, he couldn't be.

"If you want to know how I healed this time, look on your legs and the back of your shirt." Mac said, falling to the floor.

Karui glanced over her shoulder and turned pale. Three giant pink worms were latched onto her body. All of them were sucking her blood out to heal Mac. That's when she noticed the puddle of blood behind Mac was gone.

"Where'd that puddle of blood go?" Karui stammered as she fell to her knees.

Mac gave a cackle and looked at her with a crazed look.

"They live inside me. Somewhat like the Aburame Clan, I have a special form of ability. It's not a bloodline but it is similar to the Aburame's bloodline. You see, those things attached to you are **bloodworms**. They come with a price, which isn't fun. They come to existence after I lose enough blood to make a puddle of it. Depending on the size of the puddle, the bigger the worms will be. And I lost a lot of blood from that dirty trick you pulled earlier. That's where those three bloodsuckers came from. Unfortunately, I'm not going to be able to continue my fight since, I only managed to get white blood cells from you again. I need red to regain the amount of blood I lost. This match is a draw." Mac stated, falling forward out cold.

The **bloodworms** vanished and Karui fell to the ground looking very pale from the blood loss. She quivered a little bit and vomited from the sickness inside her. Her eyes drooped and she fell into blissful unconsciousness. Hayate stepped forward and confirmed the double knockout.

"This match is a draw. Neither contestant will go to the next round. This concludes the preliminary rounds!" Hayate said.

* * *

"I would like the winners of the matches to come down to the arena. We will now decide the order for the finals which will take place a month from now." Hiruzen called.

Naruto, Temari, Kankuro, Shino, Ryuzaki, Gaara, Shikamaru, Dosu and Kakashi went down to the arena. Kakashi would be Sasuke's substitute to determine who he'll be fighting in the finals. Ibiki and Anko walked forward holding a hat with paper in it along with a chart. Ibiki walked over to Naruto and held the hat out to him.

"Grab one piece of paper from the hat, the name of your opponent is on it." Ibiki said, moving down the row.

When everyone had their papers, they opened them. All of them scanned the name and began to think of how to approach their upcoming matches. Anko set the chart on her clipboard and pulled out the pen to record the fighting order.

"Alright, shit stains. Starting with Uzumaki-San, we'll go down the row. I want you to say the name of your opponent."

Everyone stared at Naruto, waiting for him to say his opponent's name. Naruto cleared his throat and looked down at his paper.

"Sabaku no Temari." Naruto stated.

"Aburame Shino," Kankuro replied, tucking the paper in his pocket.

"Sabaku no Gaara," Kakashi said, reading his book.

"Kinuta Dosu," Shikamaru muttered.

"Okay, then that leaves Ryuzaki with a free round." Ibiki concluded.

When Anko finished she held up the chart to show the order of the fights. Round one, Uzumaki Naruto vs. Sabaku no Temari. Round Two, Sabaku no Gaara vs. Uchiha Sasuke. Round Three, Aburame Shino vs Sabaku no Kankuro. Round Four, Nara Shikamaru vs Kinuta Dosu. Round Five, Ryuzaki Sanderson vs. Winner of Round Four.

"All right, you are all dismissed. We'll see you at the Konoha Stadium in one month's time. Train hard and enjoy your month off." Ibiki said, before **Shunshining** away with Anko.

* * *

The eight Genin left the arena and to their designated areas. All of them were beginning to ponder their training schedule along with their month off. Naruto walked out of the room and bumped into Grimes who was grinning down at him.

"Well, even though you only made it through this round, I'm damn proud with the three of you." Grimes said, patting him on the back.

"Thanks." Naruto replied.

"Well, I gotta get ready for my date tonight."

"You got a date? With who?"

"Kurenai. She and I had a bet on your match with Kiba. If she won I was her slave for the week, if I won she had to go on a date with me. And since you won the match…"

"Okay, I got the idea. Enjoy the date!"

Grimes **Shunshined** away and Naruto went to the hospital to check up on Gaz, Mac, and Hinata. He had his foxy grin plastered on his face the whole time.

* * *

**Omake: Kung Cow**

"I just received word that we have a late entry." Hiruzen announced.

"So what does this mean?" asked Hayate.

"This means one of the winners will have to fight one an extra time, but if they lose they don't get disqualified since they won their original match."

"Okay, let's get a name going on the board there."

Everyone was a little surprised by this and were filled with renewed vigor. If they couldn't be disqualified from this fight since they won their original one, then they didn't care if they had to fight again. The names stopped and landed on, Ryuzaki Sanderson. Ryuzaki sighed and hopped into the arena waiting for his opponent to make himself known. After not seeing him, he turned to the Hokage with a questioning look but was answered when Hiruzen pointed to the doors exiting the arena. The doors opened and in walked a... cow? Everyone sweatdropped at the sight and Ryuzaki face faulted. This was a stupid joke, it had to be.

"Is this some kind of joke, Hokage-Sama?" Ryuzaki asked.

"Nope, now get ready." Hiruzen replied.

"Let the match between, Ryuzaki Sanderson and Cow, commence!" Hayate bellowed, hopping away.

Ryuzaki looked at the cow as it chewed its cud. The cow looked at him and spat out a loogie before narrowing its eyes at him with a growl. Ryuzaki's eyes narrowed at the cow. The cow suddenly flipped onto its hind legs and stood up at a height of 6'4' in a taijutsu stance. Ryuzaki's eyes widened shock and his jaw dropped.

"Huh!" Ryuzaki babbled.

The cow charged Ryuzaki and did a double snap kick, which he blocked. Cow landed and began punching at him with its hooves and Ryuzaki kept on blocking. Cow attempted to sweep his legs out from under him but Ryuzaki jumped in the air doing multiple backflips before landing twenty feet away. When he looked up he quickly put his arms up in an 'X' block to block a thrust kick from the cow. Ryuzaki was sent skidding back kicking up dust with the souls of his sandels. He lowered his guard and grinned at the cow.

Cow got into a Crane Stance and Ryuzaki made one finger with each hand, pressed them against his head to make it like he had horns. The cow growled in anger at being mocked and Ryuzaki charged him before jumping into the air with a kick. Cow jumped into the air with a kick as well, both hovered their for a moment before the cow sent its other leg from the side kicking Ryuzaki in the gut. Ryuzaki kick-flipped up to his feet and looked at cow with some thought. Cow growled holding its hoof out to him in a beckoning gesture. Ryuzaki's eyes fell and noticed the cows utters swaying lightly. Cow began sending continuous roundhouse kicks to Ryuzaki's head, forcing him back blocking. It finally spun around using its other leg to through Ryuzaki off but he ducked under it. It quickly brought its leg to a crescent kick across his face sending him spinning around and he delivered a backfist to cow's jaw. Cow spun around dropped to his front legs and kicked Ryuzaki's shoulder with its back legs sending him to his back.

Cow flipped into the air to stomp on Ryuzaki while he was dazed, but he rolled out of the way. Ryuzaki attempted a leg sweep, but cow hopped over it, and landed on its front legs again. He walked forward to get inside the guard but the cow's hind legs rested on his shoulders. He was met with multiple slaps across the face with cows tail before being kicked away with its hind legs.

Ryuzaki stood up and growled going into another taijutsu stance. This changed however when cow shot milt at him with its utters. The milk hit Ryuzaki in the face making him drop his guard from it. Cow kept sending blast after blast of milk at him from its utters. Finally it stopped and gave a triumphant "Moo!". Ryuzaki looked up and wiped the thick milk mustache from his upper lip. A hoof rested on his shoulder and he looked up to see cow bringing his head down on his. Crack! Ryuzaki's head became a splitting headache from the headbut. Cow picked him up and held him upside-down for a pile driver. As Ryuzaki was hanging upside-down, he thought to himself.

"_Whose the guy that writes this stuff? I'm getting my ass kicked by a freaking cow!_" he thought.

Cow jumped in the air and landed on its backside, slamming Ryuzaki's head into the ground. Ryuzaki lay face down, too dazed to get up and move. Cow decided to have some fun and sprayed some milk on the back of Ryuzaki's jacket. Cow laughed at Ryuzaki's humiliation, but it changed when Ryuzaki rolled up and began sending rapid chakra punches into cow's utters. Cow gave a loud cry of pain and stood on all fours to prevent Ryuzaki from punching the utters any further. This gave Ryuzaki the upper hand since he held Cow's head in place, he drove his knee into Cow's chin three times sending him away.

Cow stood twenty feet away from Ryuzaki and shot a long ranged jet of milk at him. Ryuzaki dodge by swerving to the left and charged towards the cow. Cow jumped into the air in slow motion on pointed its utters at Ryuzaki, making him stop dead. Multiple long range shots of milk went soaring towards Ryuzaki, this gave him enough time to try something he wanted to do after seeing a movie.

"Queue Famous Neo Matrix Dodge!" Ryuzaki muttered.

Ryuzaki leaned back at a flexible angle and everything went in slow motion as the jets of milk soared over his head, shoulder, and legs. Cow landed on its side and stood back up again. Ryuzaki held out both hands and dove towards cow. He slid across the floor and took hold of two of the Cow's teets.

"Moo?" Cow asked.

"HAHAHAHA!" Ryuzaki laughed as he began to milk Cow dry from all the liquid in its body.

Two minutes passed and Ryuzaki finally stood up looking satisfied. Cow was nothing but a skiny empty skin and it fell to the ground. It rolled on its back and Ryuzaki walked away feeling victorious. Cow gave out a long 'Moo' as though saying "Come baaaaack!". Everyone in the stands had been watching the fight eating popcorn and drinking some beer while watching the amusing fight.

"I have left the building!" Ryuzaki said, exiting the room.

**(A/N: Now I took this from one of my favorite movies to make it an omake. I just watched it the other day after not seeing it in a long time and I remembered the scene and I was like 'Okay this has to go in here!'. The movie the cow fight was from was from Steve Odekerks "Kung Pow: Enter the Fist" I suggest you watch the scene on youtube. I laugh all the time watching it.)**

* * *

**Okay, that's the chapter! Read and Review as always, gives me fuel to write more! Now a couple of things. First, I am happy to announce that some of my favorite authors have taken a liking to this story and added it to their favorites, which alone is an honor. Second thing, if anyone can guess the song and band in this chapter, you will be given a special prize. I won't say what the prize is, I'll announce the winner, whenever I find the first correct answer! Thirdly, don't forget the character popularity poll for this story on my profile page! All in all, I hope you all enjoyed the chapter, see you next time!-CaptainPrice.**

**Fun Fact: I forgot to mention, Ryuzaki looks just like 'L' from Death Note without the hat, with the hat he looks like some crazy cowboy. At least that's what the drawing my artist for the story made it look like. (Sweatdrops)**

**Death Knight Abilities:**

**Bloodworms- Bloodworms are a blood specced death knight ability. Whenever the death knight hits an opponent with their weapon, they have a chance to spawn bloodworms that attack the target which takes the target's health giving it to the death knight for replenishing. (A/N: I know I did it completely different, but it's a fanfiction, and I like the way I did it better! If you have a problem with it, sue me!)**


	16. Secrets Revealed

**Yo, I know this is late, but my internet was down and I couldn't do shit to upload it. This chapter in my mind was confusing when I read it since I wrote it in a bit of a rush. The chapter revolves around Ryuzaki's past and why he is where he is now. This needed to be done and I decided to take a break from the Death Knights for a chapter. I hope this isn't too confusing to read, but it probably is. I will rectify the chapter when I finish the story, but for now, sit back and enjoy it. Sidenote: I turn 18 on Thursday baby! Now that that is out of the way, let's get on with the story. Read and Review when done please!**

**Bold- Kyuubi/Death Knight Abilities/Jutsu**

**_Italic- Thoughts/Letters/Flashbacks_**

******Disclaimer: I do NOT own Naruto or WoW. I DO own the OC's, this story, and the idea of the story itself.**

* * *

Kakashi was currently walking to the Hokage's office, reading his book. There were some things that he wanted to know. As he walked, his mind drifted to Ryuzaki's fight. When Ryuzaki used that blade technique with his chakra, it had been something he had only seen one other time, and that was during his years as an ANBU. Only one person knew that technique, and it was none other than, Uchiha Itachi. He then thought back to the fights of his former students. All of them surprised them with their battle strategy and it infuriated him that Grimes seemed to be further ahead of him with his students.

The one thing he wished he had managed to do was copy Naruto's jutsu. Kakashi was miffed that Naruto managed to prevent his hand signs from being seen. But this wouldn't stop him from spying on Naruto's training. Sasuke would need everything he could to defeat Gaara, and that technique of Naruto's could be a good attack against Gaara's sand shield. He shook his head when he noticed he was standing in front of the receptionist's desk. Closing his book, he looked at the secretary and cleared his throat.

"Oh, Kakashi-san, how may I help you today?" asked the secretary.

"I have to speak with the Hokage about something important." Kakashi replied.

"Of course, he should be in his office right now."

"Thanks very much."

Kakashi ascended the stairs and stopped in front of the office doors. He rapped his knuckles on the wood and heard some bustling in the room.

"Enter." Hiruzen called.

* * *

Kakashi opened the door and closed it behind him as he entered Hiruzen's office. The old Hokage looked up at Kakashi and frowned a little. He was still disappointed with Kakashi and the way he dealt with Sasuke at the preliminaries. Hiruzen lit his pipe and motioned for Kakashi to take a seat. Kakashi sat down in one of the armchairs in front of Hiruzen's desk and put his book away.

"So what did you need to speak to me about, Kakashi?" Hiruzen asked.

"I wanted to talk to you about two things, Hokage-sama." Kakashi replied.

"Well, I'm listening. But we need to be brief since I have a meeting with the council about other matters."

"Then I'll cut to the chase. The first thing is about the cursed seal on Sasuke's neck. I managed to put a seal on it to prevent him from using it."

Hiruzen nodded and decided not to say anything. Granted Kakashi was somewhat skilled seals, he would much rather of had Jiraiya seal of the curse mark. He decided to look into that later and motioned for Kakashi to continue about his questions.

"Now for the next thing I wanted to talk to you about. Why did you put Ryuzaki Sanderson into my squad?"

"Are you saying he's not cooperating with the team?"

"No…well yes, but that's not what I meant."

"Well, what do you mean?"

"You never gave me a background on the kid. You only told me that you were picking him out from a new batch of Genin. From the skill he's displayed in the exams from answering the questions without cheating on the first test, stealing two scrolls before the second test, and using a Jonin level technique in his preliminary match, I have concluded you planted him for a reason."

Hiruzen's eyes narrowed slightly at Kakashi. He sighed and rubbed them with his hand before resting it under his chin. Pondering the next course of action to take with Kakashi, he decided to explain.

"Kakashi, what I am about to tell you is not to be revealed to anyone under any circumstances. If you speak of this, I will remove your Sharigan eye, seal your chakra, and throw you in prison faster than you can piss. Do I make myself clear?" Hiruzen inquired.

"Clear." Kakashi replied.

"I suppose I should start from the beginning. Ryuzaki Sanderson actually graduated from the Genin class two years previously. While growing up in the orphanage, Ryuzaki had a bad run in with some Genin. They attacked him, but he was saved by another shinobi. That shinobi was none other than, Uchiha Itachi."

Kakashi's eyes widened slightly, and then reverted back to normal. He was beginning to see where the direction of the story was going, but he decided to stay quiet and hear the rest of it.

"Ryuzaki was brought to my office shortly after he was attacked by the Genin. Itachi told me what happened, and I decided to give him a secret assignment. I made him leave the ANBU to teach Ryuzaki since I saw a hidden potential in him. I felt it could be awoken if Itachi trained him." Hiruzen said, puffing some smoke out from his pipe.

"I did wonder why Itachi quit the ANBU so early after joining." Kakashi said to himself.

"Yes, well, I thought he could use a bit of a break. Anyway, Itachi trained Ryuzaki in secret from his family so they wouldn't question him about coming home early after his ANBU duties and he could still make it seem he was being kept busy by my orders. When Ryuzaki entered the Academy, he became the class prodigy just like Itachi. He, too, graduated early because his skill was so great thanks to Itachi."

"So then what happened?"

"I put Ryuzaki under Itachi as a single student. The two of them were given missions of all sorts for the next several months. But then, something happened."

"The Uchiha Massacre?"

"Yes. That's when everything went downhill."

"How so?"

"Well, the night Itachi killed his family, he encountered Ryuzaki. Ryuzaki ended up witnessing the event from afar and confronted Itachi about it."

"Is that kid insane?"

"I questioned that myself after I heard the story from him. After Ryuzaki confronted Itachi, they ended up having a skirmish. Itachi won easily and stabbed Ryuzaki through the stomach, leaving him for dead. My ANBU found him and Sasuke in the compound the next day, both were traumatized, but for different reasons."

"So what happened after Ryuzaki told you about witnessing the event?"

"He escaped the hospital later that day after he woke up and attempted to leave the village. He wanted revenge against Itachi for betraying him and trying to kill him. My ANBU caught him and subdued him, then brought him to my office. I thought it was in the best interest to seal off Ryuzaki's memories about Itachi and training with him. So I had Jiraiya and Yamanaka Inoichi go into Ryuzaki's mind and seal the memories in his subconscious. We wanted to prevent Ryuzaki from remembering anything about Itachi in fear he might try to seek him out to kill him."

"So what happened after that?"

"We told Ryuzaki he had been in a coma for years after being attacked by the Genin. After we released him from the hospital, we sent him back to the academy to relearn everything from square one. But we decided to have the techniques he learned from Itachi previously written in a book for him. I gave him the book as a birthday gift and he relearned the techniques again. He learned the techniques again throughout his years at the academy, but at a slower rate without Itachi's assistance. He graduated about six months ago and I had him accompany some other teams for a bunch of missions as support to complete the same ranked missions he did with Itachi to remake his record since we erased it after we sealed his memories."

"I see…"

The two of them sat in silence for a moment and a knock came from the door. Hiruzen looked up and cleared his throat.

"Yes?" Hiruzen called.

"Hokage-sama, your meeting is about to begin." His secretary replied.

"Alright, tell them I'll be right there."

Kakashi and Hiruzen stood up and stretched. Hiruzen reached into a sealed cabinet in his desk and pulled out a file. He handed it to Kakashi who took it quickly. His eyes scanned the file and the label read _'Ryuzaki Sanderson'_ across the top right corner. He opened the file and flipped through the records.

"Read that and learn about him, Kakashi. I want you to keep an eye on Ryuzaki because after his memories were sealed, Jiraiya told me the seal he used was a prototype. He believed that the seal would weaken over the years. So I want you to moniter Ryuzaki during your spare time and watch for any difference in his behavior." Hiruzen instructed.

"I will. Thank you for your time, Hokage-sama." Kakashi replied, vanishing from sight.

* * *

**Okay, that's the chapter. I'll try to update again by Friday and focus on the others. I probably pissed a lot of you off with all the dialogue in this chapter since there was so much, but there wasn't going to be much action in this chapter. Anyway, read and review as always. Don't forget about the popularity poll for this story on my profile page. See you later!-CaptainPrice.**

**P.S: And I would like to congratulate Exiled Crow for being the first to guess the name of the song in the last chapter. I will PM him on his prize, and if he's not interested in it, I'll give it to Rick-3TKH since he was the second person to get it right. **


	17. Of Training and Perverts

**Yo, I'm back with another update for 'Shinobi of the Ebon Blade'. I know this is a couple weeks late, but I've been busy with ups and downs. Good news is I'm back with a chapter. Bad news is I don't think this story will be done by August 20th like I planned with the rate I'm going (Sweatdrops). Plus I had to break up with my girlfriend who I've been dating for three years (Since Sophomore year in High School) since we decided that a long term relationship wouldn't work. Anyway, I've rambled on enough, and I hope you enjoy the chapter here. Read and Review when done please!**

**Bold-Inner Sakura/Kyuubi/Scourge Talk/Death Knight Abilities**

**_Italics-Thoughts/Letters/Flashbacks_**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Naruto or WoW! I DO own the OC's, the story, and the idea of the story itself!**

* * *

Naruto stopped outside Hinata's hospital room. He wrapped his knuckles on the door and waited for a response.

"Come in." Hinata answered.

Naruto opened the door and saw Hinata sitting up in her bed reading a novel. She closed it and beamed at him as he entered the room. He gave her his foxy grin and sat down by her bed.

"So what brings you here, Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked.

"Just wanted to see how you were doing," Naruto said, leaning back.

"Aw, that's sweet."

They both shared a laugh at that and fell silent. Not sure what to talk about, Naruto began to think of something. He thought about how he should approach his training and how he should utilize it. His first thought was to go to Grimes and try and see if he had anything he could train him, but he cancelled that out. Naruto wanted to be able to learn some new things, and he already learned almost everything from Grimes minus one Death Knight attack.

"What are you thinking about?" Hinata asked.

"Training for the finals." Naruto replied.

"Ah, I see."

"Yeah, that's one of my main priorities at the moment."

Hinata nodded and sat up against her pillow. She wondered what Naruto thought of her fight and nervously wringed her hands. She jumped a little bit when she felt Naruto place his hand over hers.

"What's wrong, Hinata?" Naruto asked with concern in his voice.

"Naruto-kun… how do you think I did during the preliminary rounds against Neji?" Hinata asked.

Naruto blinked for a moment, and grinned. He gave Hinata's hand a reassuring squeeze, barely noticing the blush on her face.

"Hinata, I honestly believe you did great in your fight against Neji. I mean, he was rookie of the year last year, and you were able to make him use some of his strongest techniques. I highly doubt anyone could have done any better than that." Naruto said with sincerity.

Hinata felt her face boiling from the praise that Naruto gave her. It made her feel even better knowing he was honest about his statement. She looked at Naruto and did something that shocked the pair of them. Hinata closed in and gave Naruto a peck on the cheek. Naruto sat there looking like a deer caught in headlights before breaking out in a lopsided grin. Hinata giggled at his expression and looked up after hearing a knock on the door.

"Hinata, may I please talk with you?" A man asked.

"Come in," Hinata replied, looking at the door.

The door opened and in walked a man in his early forties. Hinata's eyes widened for a second before reverting to normal. She looked into her father's expressionless face and felt anxious. Naruto turned and noticed an older Hyuuga standing in the doorway. He stood up abruptly and looked him in the eyes.

"Hiashi-Sama," Naruto greeted with a nod.

Hiashi stood there looking at Naruto with mild confusion. He knew the boy was famous for showing no respect to those he didn't know too well. But the sudden change of demeanor surprised him.

"Naruto-San," Hiashi greeted back.

"I suppose I should leave so you can talk with your daughter, huh?" Naruto inquired.

"I guess if you want to put it bluntly like that, then yes."

Naruto grinned sheepishly at the Hyuuga head and began to walk out of the room.

"Naruto-San, there's no need to be formal with me. You've got my respect." Hiashi said with a small smile.

"If you say so, old man." Naruto replied.

"Don't push it, kid."

Naruto nodded and left the premises to try and find Grimes.

* * *

It didn't take too long to find Grimes since he was visiting Gaz and Mac in their room. Naruto walked in to see them all talking about the preliminary rounds. The greeted him as he plopped himself down in a nearby chair.

"So, how do you feel about being the only guy on the team to make it to the finals?" Gaz asked.

"Lonely. You could be joining me in it if you didn't play hero at the last second there, you asshole." Naruto replied with a smirk. The four of them shared a laugh at the witty remark.

"So how do you plan to train then?" Mac asked.

"I'm not sure. I already learned everything from Grimes except for one attack. So I plan to learn that after learning some new things. But the problem for me is I don't know anyone who can train me."

"Did you try to speak to Hokage-Sama about it?" Grimes asked.

"I was planning to do that, but I could use a break. You want a job?"

"Not really. I'm already aging about five years a day thanks to you three."

"So that would make you around 12,775 years old since you started training us." Gaz said with a grin.

Grimes sent a glare at Gaz before pulling on his ear. Tears began to trail down the side of Gaz's eye as the pain swept through his nerves. Grimes took a deep breath and yelled into his ear.

"Yes it would, smartass!" Grimes yelled.

"Ow, fuck!" Gaz shouted rubbing his ear.

"Well, I'm going to go to the hot springs to relax. Any of you want to tag along?"

"I'd go, but I still need to get the burns treated." Gaz said.

"I need to get some more blood back." Mac replied.

"I guess I'll go since I need to get cleaned up for my date with Kurenai." Grimes said, standing up.

Naruto nodded and stood up before shunshining away with Grimes. Mac and Gaz sat there for a moment and stared at each other. Gaz pulled out a scroll and smeared some blood across the seal. There was a crack as his Ipod and a radio fell out. He plugged it in and pressed play. The two of them grinned as they listened to some rock music burst through the speakers.

"Although I don't like hospitals, this helps me cope with them," Gaz said tapping his fingers to the beat.

"I hear you on that one." Mac replied.

* * *

Grimes and Naruto were sitting in the springs, enjoying the relaxing warmth. They heard something that sounded like giggling. It came again, and this time they knew where it was located. Grimes pointed to a tree that overlooked both the men's and women's side of the hot spring.

"Should we expose him?" Naruto asked.

"Yeah, but let me do it." Grimes replied.

Grimes climbed out of the water and crept along the fence to avoid being spotted by the pervert. He finally stood under the tree and could see the pervert from under the branches. The pervert had long white hair, with red markings on his face. He was wearing some sort of uniform which had a scroll attached to the back. Grimes realized it was the man who wrote the Icha Icha books that Kakashi reads. Jiraiya of the Sanin.

"Oh man, this is the jackpot! Red eyed babe, and two purple haired hotties!" Jiraiya giggled, scribbling in his note book.

_"What the hell? He's peeking on Kureni, Anko and Yugao?"_ Grimes thought with a growl.

"Pervert!" Grimes called, hitting the tree with a chakra powered tackle.

"Shit!" Jiraiya swore as he fell from his perch and landed on the fence.

Naruto and Grimes looked on in amusement as the fence was broken down. Jiraiya was crushed by the fence and was being attacked by the three enraged kunoichi. When they were done, they stood up admiring the inflicted damage on the perverted Sanin. That's when they noticed Naruto and Grimes standing there.

"Thanks, Grimes." Yugao said with a grin.

"No problem, he had it coming." Grimes replied.

Kurenai looked down with a red face, realizing she was standing in front of her date practically naked, but still wearing the towel. Anko, however, grinned and bent down giving the two of them an eyeful of cleavage.

"You like what you see, sexy?" Anko asked with a teasing tone, looking at Grimes.

"If I answer that would you kill me?" Grimes asked, smirking back.

"Since it's you, no."

"Then in that case, yes. So sexy it hurts."

Anko blushed at the remark and grinned before walking back through the destroyed fence. But not before stomping on Jiraiya's face one last time after hearing another giggle. Yugao followed Anko's example and brought her foot down on the fence over Jiraiya's crotch. That action made Naruto and Grimes squirm and subconsciously hold theirs in sympathy. Kurenai bolted through the fence after noticing that Yugao and Anko had already left.

Jiraiya suddenly stood up as though nothing had happened and groaned. He turned to Grimes and gave a glare that would even make the Lich King stop in his tracks briefly. Jiraiya stomped over to him and jabbed him in the chest with his finger.

"Why? Why did you ruin such great research?" Jiraiya demanded.

"You were being a creeper, Jiraiya-Sama. That's a no-no." Grimes replied, holding his ground.

"Oh, so you know who I am?"

"Yes, but not the way you should be known for."

"Am I missing something?" Naruto asked, completely confused.

"Naruto, this man before you is one of the three strongest shinobi in the world, Jiraiya of the Sanin, also known as the Toad Sage." Grimes replied.

"He seems to be more of a pervert than a sage."

"I'm not a pervert, kid… I'm a Super Pervert!"

"You have no shame, do you?"

Jiraiya put a hand to his chin in thought, and then shook his head with a grin. The man before Naruto and Grimes will forever remain an enigma to them. Jiraiya looked at Naruto and noticed the headband around his head. He grinned at seeing the kid before him training to become a strong shinobi for Konoha.

"Hey, kid, what's your name?" Jiraiya asked.

"My name is, Uzumaki Naruto." Naruto replied.

_"Should've guessed it, he's got his mother's attitude, but he is a carbon copy of his father."_ Jiraiya thought.

"Where are you currently in your shinobi career?"

"I just succeeded in the preliminary rounds for the Chunin Exams, so now I get to partake in the Finals next month."

"I see."

Grimes looked at Jiraiya for a moment and then back at Naruto. He began to wonder if he could somehow persuade Jiraiya to train Naruto for the Chunin Exams. It probably would be difficult since he just finished ruining Jiraiya's 'research' but he would have to try.

"Jiraiya-sama, I got a favor to ask of you." Grimes said, turning to him.

"What might that be?" Jiraiya asked.

"Do you think you can train Naruto for the finals? I would, but he's learned everything I could teach him at the moment. And I got two other students that can use some work."

"I don't know… you interrupted my research, so why should I help you?"

"If you do, I promise never to alert ladies when they're bathing here that you're hiding in the trees." Grimes subconsciously crossed his fingers.

"Deal!"

"Well, I think I'll leave you two alone so you can get to work."

Grimes turned and walked into the bath house and out of sight. Jiraiya turned to Naruto and placed a hand on his shoulder before shunshining away. Neither of them noticed the jounin watching from afar.

* * *

The two of them arrived by a waterfall overlooking some other hot springs. Naruto sweat dropped at the site. This man truly had no shame of being a Super Pervert. He snapped back to attention when Jiraiya began talking to him.

"Alright, kid, I want to see how your chakra control is before I start training you. Depending how you do, it can either prevent you from learning some of the things I can teach you or you could learn everything I want to teach you." Jiraiya said, sitting down under a tree.

"Alright, which chakra control exercise do you want to see?" Naruto asked.

"Start with tree walking, and then water walking and so on."

Naruto nodded and walked to a tree near Jiraiya's spot. After focusing his chakra, he opened his eyes and began to walk towards the tree. When he was a couple steps up, he stopped and turned to Jiraiya.

"Do you want me to run or walk up the tree?" Naruto asked.

"Either one, it's up to you." Jiraiya replied.

Naruto looked up and began to run, pumping chakra into his feet. He burst through the branches at the top of the tree and stood up. He looked down and noticed Jiraiya looking at him from the ground. Jiraiya nodded and beckoned him to come down to the bottom. Naruto flipped as he jumped forward and fell to the ground. He landed easily and stood up looking at Jiraiya.

"Nice job. Now let's see how you fair with the other exercises."

One by one, Naruto had passed the chakra control exercises with one try each. Jiraiya, while not showing it, was very impressed. He thought Naruto's chakra control would be terrible since he had two chakra networks inside of him. Naruto walked up to him and looked at him with a grin. Obviously he could tell Jiraiya was impressed with his performance.

"So what's next?" Naruto asked.

"Do you know your elemental affinities?" Jiraiya asked.

"Yeah, they're wind and water."

"Two affinities, huh? That's quite impressive."

"So are you going to show me some new techniques for my affinities?"

"It depends on how fast you learn the technique I want to teach you at the moment."

"Oh?"

"Tell me, Naruto. What do you know about summoning?"

"That there is a contract for the summons and that the user needs to sign his or her name on the scroll that allows them to summon the companions."

"Excellent. And here I thought you might be brain-dead."

Naruto growled at Jiraiya but let it go. That was one thing Naruto could not stand hearing. If someone called him an idiot or told him he was brain-dead, it usually got violent. Jiraiya chuckled at this and ruffled Naruto's hair.

"I'm just kidding, kid. But yes, you are correct about that." Jiraiya informed.

"I also know that there are summons such as dogs, toads, and others." Naruto noted.

"That's right. But I plan to teach you how to summon toads since I have the contract with me."

Jiraiya reached behind his back and pulled off the giant scroll that was attached to it. He unrolled it and placed it before Naruto. Naruto examined the scroll and noticed only two names were written on it. One was Jiraiya's and the other was the Yondaime Hokage's. This shocked Naruto and he felt honored that he would be the third person to sign the contract. He bit his thumb hard enough to draw blood. Naruto placed his thumb on the paper and began to write his name on the scroll. When he was done, Jiraiya rolled the scroll up and placed it in the holster on his back.

"Alright, now you have the ability to summon the toads. Question is can you do it?" Jiraiya asked with a smirk.

"Of course I can do it!" Naruto declared.

"Then let's see."

Naruto nodded and went through the signs that he read on the scroll. After he finished the last sign, he slammed his palm on the ground. There was a loud crack and smoke came up from the ground. When it cleared, an abnormally large toad was sitting there.

"Yo!" it greeted, waving its hand.

"Erm, hello." Naruto greeted.

"Well, this is a start. But this wasn't the one I was hoping to see." Jiraiya said, crossing his arms.

"Aw, shit, I thought it was a good try."

"Well, good luck with the future summoning kid, you'll need it! Haha!" the toad said before going up in smoke.

Naruto sat there looking at the spot where the toad vanished a moment ago. He then grinned in anticipation when Jiraiya implied that there were bigger toads than the one he summoned. His failure of the summon only fueled his desire to master the summoning.

"Let me try again!" Naruto said with a grin.

"Why don't we stop for today, Naruto? It's getting late and I have some things to do, so I won't be able to be back here tomorrow." Jiraiya said, standing up dusting off his pants.

"But I was close!"

"Yes you were, but not close enough. Now go home and get some shut-eye. Come back here in two days and we'll pick up from there."

"Okay."

Jiraiya shunshined away, leaving Naruto to himself. Naruto stood there for another minute before he shunshined home.

* * *

The next day, came and Naruto found himself standing next to his freshly recovered teammates. Gaz stood there looking sleep deprived and Mac looked famished, even though they had a perfect amount of sleep and food in the hospital, they still seemed drained. The three of them saw Grimes appear in front of them with a shunshin grinning widely.

"Enjoy the date?" Gaz asked.

"Yes I did, but I'll tell you about it later. Right now, we need to focus on some more training. Granted you guys have the month off, this is the perfect time to polish up on some techniques." Grimes replied.

"So what are we going to do today?" Mac asked.

"Today I want to focus on your speed work. No offense guys, but you're too slow on your attacks. You need to be faster to take down your enemies."

"Scourge or shinobi?" Naruto asked.

"Both. Although I'm willing to make an accept ion that shinobi will be more difficult. But I want you all to be able to demolish the scourge forces as quickly as possible."

"So how will we train for this exercise?" Gaz asked.

"Tell me, do you remember 'The Labyrinth'?" Grimes asked, grinning like a madman.

"Vividly." They chorused.

"Well, I'm taking us back to the Ebon Hold today to train there."

Grimes raised his hand and summoned the **Death Gate**. He nodded at the gate and the three of them entered the gate, disappearing from the field. Grimes followed suit and the portal vanished behind him.

* * *

The four of them found themselves on a hill overlooking the ruins of New Avalon which was destroyed seven years ago. For Naruto, Mac and Gaz, it brought back the memories of the training simulation. But for Grimes, it brought back the memories of the people he killed with his own hands while he was a mindless slave to the Lich King. It never got easier for Grimes when he came here, it always made it worse. He shook his head and replaced his frown with a grin.

"Alright, let's go!" Grimes said, sliding down the muddy embankment.

Naruto, Mac and Gaz followed their Captain to the bottom of the hill, and were now covered in the grimy earth. They noticed Grimes standing in front of an enclosed area. This was the second thing they hated most during their training as Death Knights. The area before them was known as 'Hell's Labyrinth'. It was given that name because of the rigorous time attack that it needed to be completed in. The Labyrinth was filled with hundreds of undead and traps that had to be destroyed or avoided. The purpose of the training was to test the Death Knight's stamina and speed. The Death Knight's in training had to finish the Labyrinth in less than three hours, if they didn't; they had to do it again and again until they finally got it.

"So, what do you want us to do? Do you want us to try and break our old records?" Gaz asked.

"Yes, but I'm going to change this up a little bit. You are allowed to use chakra, but you cannot use your weapons or ninjutsu. This time, you can only use taijutsu when you encounter an enemy. And the last thing is I locked the exit. You have to kill the abomination at the end in order to get the key to unlock the gate." Grimes stated.

"Are you insane?" Gaz hollered.

"Well, since you spoke up Zano, you can go first."

"I really think I hate you now."

"Join the club, we got jackets. Now get moving!"

Gaz was suddenly pushed into the labyrinth by Grimes and he tumbled down into the entrance path. He coughed and stood up feeling the freezing temperature in the maze settling in. Gaz mentally cursed himself, forgetting he had to keep moving or the cold temperature could kill him. He stood up and began to jog in place. Hundreds of cries and growls of ghouls, skeletons, specters, and abominations filled his ears.

"Get moving, Zano! It's been thirty seconds, and last I checked, your best time was forty-five minutes!" Grimes called through the intercom.

That was enough to make Gaz dash down the path to the first fork with speed that would make the Yondaime proud. Naruto, Mac and Grimes stood there for a moment and waited to hear Gaz's angry curse streak.

"How long do you think it will take him?" Mac asked.

"I think he'll get it on his first try. He failed this test three times, so he should have a pretty good memory of the maze." Naruto replied, sitting on a nearby rock.

Mac sat down by him and heard Gaz shout his first curse streak.

"Oh, you've gotta be fucking kidding me! Since when the fuck were fucking invisible walls placed in the fucking maze? I swear to god, if I get out of here, the first thing I'm going to do is carve my goddamn initials into Grimes' back with the fucking key I used to unlock that piece of shit gate!" Gaz yelled.

"Then again, this may take a while." Naruto said.

The three of them sweatdropped at hearing Gaz's angry curses and cries from the maze. Grimes was clutching his sides from laughing so hard at his student's anger. As the time ticked by on Grimes' watch, they would hear the cry of some undead being killed by Gaz or the occasional yell of rage from said person.

"He'd better hurry up. He's got ten minutes left." Grimes muttered, pressing the button on the intercom again.

"Hey, Zano. I think now would be a good time to tell you that you only have three minutes left!" Grimes said, smirking.

"Fuck!" Gaz roared, but his voice sounded farther away, meaning he must be near the exit.

"Why'd you lie?" Mac asked, knowing the reason.

"I'm giving him that little push."

Two minutes went by and then finally, the three of them heard a bell ring, signaling Gaz's completion of the labyrinth. He appeared ten minutes later on his Death Charger and fell to the ground, looking completely exhausted. Grimes looked at his watch and gave a nod.

"Nice, your old time was 45:05. Your new time is now 37:34, good job, Zano." Grimes said, loving the look of shock and hate cross his face.

"I'd hurt you now, but I need a nap." Gaz replied, slowly closing his eyes.

"So which of you two are next?"

* * *

This continued for the next couple hours as Mac and Naruto did their runs on the maze. Both of them broke their times by more than six minutes. Finally after Naruto came back from his run, covered in sweat and guts, Gaz was fully awake. Grimes nodded at Naruto confirming the broken record.

"So are we done for the day then?" Naruto asked.

"No, this time I want you all to do it as a group, and I'm going to change it up again. Now, you can use your weapons and chakra and your necromancy, but no taijutsu unless you are disarmed, and no ninjutsu or genjutsu at all." Grimes replied, walking to a lever.

"What are you doing?" Mac asked.

"I'm giving our undead friends a bit of a boost in strength, hence the green fog there. And now that the sun is down, you have to do it in the dark."

"Now that is just plain unkind." Gaz muttered.

"One of you, take the lantern there. If you run out of oil, there are some cauldrons filled with them throughout the maze."

Mac walked over and picked up the lantern after lighting it with a match. He walked back over to Naruto and Gaz and nodded, showing he was ready. The all hopped down and summoned their blades. Naruto stood in front, Mac in the middle and Gaz in the back. They waited for the new minute to start so Grimes would open the gate.

"Go!" Grimes yelled, opening the gate.

* * *

The three companions walked quickly down the path to the first fork in the maze. Gaz would be the navigator since he was a veteran of this maze. As they got to the fork, they stopped upon hearing some growls from the path straight ahead.

"Is it just me, or is Grimes trying to kill us?" Gaz asked.

"I think it's just you." Mac replied with a smirk.

"Shh, we got company." Naruto whispered.

Mac shone the light of the lantern towards the path ahead to try and find the source of the growling. The three of them were greeted with three large dogs lunging at them. One of them effectively tackled Naruto to the ground, making him drop his blade.

"Plague Hounds!" Gaz yelled, stabbing one of them in the neck when it leapt at him.

"Down boy!" Naruto hissed, snapping the dog's neck as it tried to bite him.

"You guys okay?" Mac asked, pulling his blade out of the hound he killed.

"I'm still in one piece. What about you, Naruto?"

"I'm fine, let's go!"

Naruto grabbed his blade and began to continue walking down the left path, Mac and Gaz close behind. Gaz squinted as he tried to find both paths and enemies hiding in the darkness. He pointed to the path on the left and they continued swiftly down the passage, ready to engage their next task. Suddenly the three of them dove to the ground, narrowly avoiding a razor sharp hook as it shot over their heads. A hulking abomination towered over them and began to bring its axe down.

Gaz blocked the strike with his blade and Naruto used **Icy Touch** to freeze the abomination's innards. When they froze, Gaz gave a chakra enhanced punch into the stomach, completely shattering the abomination from the waste up. The bottom half of the abomination walked forward a little bit and fell to the ground, green blood oozing out slowly.

"That was a close one," Mac said, dusting himself off.

"No kidding." Gaz replied.

"We better keep moving, the longer we stay here, the more time we waste trying to get out of here." Naruto said, walking forward.

"Okay, we need to take a right up here, and be careful. There's a rope we have to cross by balancing. If you fall, you die." Gaz informed.

"What's at the bottom?" Mac asked.

"A pit of Plague Hounds."

"Really? I don't remember that rope when I did the test earlier."

"There are different routes and Gaz's route is the fastest. It's just more dangerous." Naruto said, holding up his hand.

The three of them stood in front of a tightrope that stretched across a twenty foot gap. It looked as though they could cross easily if the used their chakra. Naruto crept forward and placed one foot on the rope, then placed his other on after it. He diverted his chakra to his feet and wobbled a little as he began to cross. Looking down, he could see over twenty Plague Hounds fighting over some rotten flesh. He motioned for Mac and Gaz to follow as he got halfway across the rope.

After Gaz was safely across, the lamp flickered as it was low on oil. Mac cursed under his breath and tried to spot a cauldron. Gaz tapped Mac's shoulder and pointed to the dark path ahead of them.

"There's a cauldron of oil at the end of the path there. I say we make a break for it before we lose the light." Gaz said, walking over to the path.

"Alright, on three, we'll run to the end of the path here." Naruto said, following Gaz.

"One…two…three!"

The three of them began to sprint as hard as they could to the end of the path. As soon as they entered the trail, the lamp burnt out. This only made them run faster, desperate to get to the oil before the undead found them first. It was at this point Gaz forgot about the drop off directly behind the cauldron.

"Oh, shit, slow down!" Gaz hollered, grinding to a halt.

Unfortunately, the cry came too late as Naruto bumped into Gaz, making him lose his balance. He put his hands out to try and grab something, but found dead air. His stomach dropped as he began to fall. As he fell, Naruto grabbed his wrist just in time before he fell out of reach.

"Gotcha!" Naruto said with a grin.

"Mac, pull us up, quick!" Gaz yelled.

Mac pulled on Naruto's free arm and they managed to pull Gaz out just as a giant undead water snake appeared in front of them. The three of them sat there wide eyed at the close call.

"Thanks, I owe you guys." Gaz said, standing up.

Mac fumbled around and found the cauldron. He unscrewed the lantern and filled up the bottom with oil. After screwing the bottom on, he struck a match igniting their beacon. Now that they had light again, they could continue without much problems. Naruto began to lead them down the only path which lead left.

After almost an hour, they came to a large drop off. Just across from it was the exit which was being guarded by a huge abomination, which they later recognized as Patchwerk. This of course was just an imposter for the real Patchwerk. The real Patchwerk dwelled in the necropolis of Naxxramas in Dragonblight. The one before them was just a really strong abomination that was given the name, Patchwerk Jr.

"So how are we going to get across? The bridge is out, and we got to be careful of that giant snake now." Mac said, looking for an alternate route.

"Look at that branch there. If one of us can hold on to it using chakra, they can swing back and forth like a monkey and we can hold on to their feet then jump when we got enough momentum." Naruto suggested.

Mac and Gaz looked at Naruto as though he grew a second head. He looked at them with a 'Just a thought' look before shrugging. They exchanged looks and they sighed, not being able to figure out any other option.

"Fine, I'll hold the branch. You guys grab my feet when I swing to you when you're ready." Naruto said, running towards the bridge.

He jumped as high as he could and managed to grab onto the branch. The bark was decaying and Naruto knew it wouldn't last much longer. After gripping the branch tighter with his chakra, he began to swing back and forth like a swing. When he finally had enough momentum, Mac walked up to the bridge. He looked down and saw the water ripple, signaling the snake below. He jumped and managed to get a hold of Naruto's legs.

Naruto used as much of the strength he could to swing both himself and Mac to the other side. Mac jumped and landed on the other side, rolling across the bridge.

"I can't believe that worked," Mac said, standing up.

"Neither can I." Naruto said, swinging back to Gaz.

Gaz did the same as Mac and jumped, catching Naruto's ankles. He held on for dear life as Naruto swung over to the other side. Gaz let go and rolled across the ground as he landed. He too was amazed that Naruto's plan worked. He turned to see Naruto jump and roll across the ground as well. Naruto looked down at his hands and grimaced before shaking them off.

"Your hands okay?" Mac asked, walking over to him.

"Yeah, but now they're raw from rubbing the branch when I was swinging." Naruto replied.

"Let's do this!" Gaz said, walking over to Patchwerk.

Naruto and Mac followed their teammate as he walked over to the massive abomination.

"Why don't we try duel wielding guys? Take a break from just the one blade?" Naruto suggested, grinning.

"Good idea. It also might give us the upper hand since we will be able to do twice the damage quicker." Mac replied.

The three of them held out their hands which began to glow white. There were a series of loud cracks as the three of them now held one blade in each hand. **(A/N: I'm not gonna go into detail on their blades. If you want a visual of them go to my profile page, follow the links and click on the 'View in 3D' button on the page).** All of them looked up at Patchwerk with wild grins and charged the abomination. Patchwerk finally saw them as they appeared from the shadows and gave a bellowing laugh.

**"Patchwerk want to play!"** Patchwerk yelled as he charged them.

* * *

After over ten minutes of fighting, Naruto found himself balancing on Patchwerk's shoulders. He sheathed his first blade and brought back his other with both hands. Naruto stabbed down with all of his strength. There was a sickening crunch as his blade pierced through the top of Patchwerk's skull. Naruto jumped off Patchwerk and landed in front of him between Mac and Gaz. Patchwerk swayed as he looked at the sky.

**"What happened to…Patch…aaaahrr."** Patchwerk said as he fell forward.

The ground trembled as Patchwerk landed at the feet of the three Death Knights. Naruto wrenched his blade out of Patchwerk's skull, making pale brains seep out. Inside the brain was a small silver loop. Gaz walked forward and pulled on the loop to reveal a hand sized silver key.

"Let's get the hell out of here." Mac said, walking to the gate.

Gaz pushed the key into the lock and it clicked as he turned it. The three of them slumped out of the labyrinth and collapsed on the ground. They heard footsteps and looked up to see Grimes grinning down at them.

"Well, that was a good day of training. Now, why don't we go home to get some sleep?" Grimes said, summoning the portal back to their house.

"So what are we doing tomorrow?" Gaz asked, yawning.

"Probably one on one sparring. But Naruto has to go back and train with Jiraiya."

"So it'll just be me and Zano?" Mac asked.

"Yeah."

"Well, as much as I'd love to talk right now, I really want to go to bed." Naruto said, rubbing his eyes.

* * *

Three week had passed since the speed training in 'Hell's Labyrinth' and team thirteen had come a long way. Gaz and Mac had learned two new elemental techniques and Grimes had taught them one of the strongest Death Knight attacks, **'Obliterate'**. Naruto had finally managed to summon, Gamabunta, after almost a week and a half of trying. He also learned **'Obliterate'** from Grimes while he wasn't training with Jiraiya. When they learned **'Obliterate'** they performed it over and over again, mainly because of what would happen to the ghouls they practiced on. When the ghoul was infected with many other powers from the Death Knight and it took the hit from **'Obliterate'** it lived up to its name. When struck, the enemy exploded into a pile of flesh and bone.

Team thirteen sat in one of the local bars, drinking as a celebration to their accomplishments during the month. It was at this point Grimes, asked for their attention.

"Alright, guys. I just want to say a few things." Grimes said, gulping down the rest of his whisky.

"Like what?" Mac asked, sipping his beer.

"First thing is, I want to say I'm very proud of you guys and your progression you've made this past month. The second thing is, Darion is coming to watch the Chunin Exam Finals tomorrow, so he might give you your promotions after the tournament."

"Sweet!" Gaz and Naruto said, pumping their fists in the air.

"Now, the third thing is this…" Grimes said, adopting a serious tone.

He looked around to see if any civilians were listening in on their conversation. When he concluded none were, he began to speak again.

"Do you remember when the Hokage ordered his ANBU to capture Kabuto at the beginning of the preliminary rounds last month?" Grimes inquired.

"Yeah, why?" Naruto replied.

"Well, Anko and Ibiki managed to make him talk, and evidently, there is supposed to be an invasion during the finals tomorrow. Sunagakure and Otogakure are going to attack us during the fights, and they got some sort of secret weapon to ensure their victory."

"What? But, why would they attack us?" Gaz asked.

"I'm not sure. All I know is that when the attack starts, it's going to get hectic."

"Do you know if there is a signal to start the attack?" Naruto asked.

"I'm not sure, but the only thing I could think of would be some sort of strong genjutsu."

"So what do you want us to do when the attack starts?" Mac asked.

"Group together, then come and find me. I'll give you further orders then."

"Okay."

The four of them stood up and exited the bar, counting down the time until the invasion.

* * *

**Well, that's the chapter guys. Read and Review as always. I'll try to get one last update in before I go to college on the 20th, but after that I don't know how many times I'll get to update, so I'm sorry. Next chapter, the Chunin Exam Finals begin and things get crazy! See you soon hopefully!-CaptainPrice.**

* * *

**Death Knight Abilities:**

**Obliterate: A brutal instant attack that deals 80% weapon damage plus 467.2, total damage increased 12.5% per each of your diseases on the target, but consumes the diseases.**


	18. Chunin Exam Finals Part 1

**Yo, CaptainPrice here with another update for 'Shinobi of the Ebon Blade'! Since I had the time, I decided to get another chapter in. In this chapter a new OC will make a cameo. This OC is not mine, it belongs to Exiled Crow, so you need his permission to use the character. I closed the poll results for 'Character Popularity' for Shinobi of the Ebon Blade, the results will be at the end of the chapter. There is a new poll on my profile page that I believe is very important. The poll asks 'Should I make a background story on the main OC of this story 'Grimes' as a prelude to him being in 'Shinobi of the Ebon Blade'? Take a look at it if you wish and let your voice be heard if you want me to make a story about him or not. Anyway, enough talk for now, I give you the new chapter of, Shinobi of the Ebon Blade.**

**Bold-Inner Sakura/Death Knight Attacks/Jutsu/Kyuubi (Talking to Naruto through the mind)**

**Italic-Thoughts/Letters/Flashbacks/Lyrics**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Naruto or WoW. I DO own the OCs, the story and the idea of the story itself!**

* * *

Everyone in Konoha was bustling as they made their way to the stadium to watch the end of the Chunin Exams. Grimes stood in front of the stadium as he waited for Darion to appear with his guard. He had already seen the Kazekage come through with two of his guards and the Hokage came through with his and entered the stadium a few minutes earlier. Grimes puffed out some smoke from his cigarette and looked around the area again. Even though he was waiting for Darion, he also decided to keep his eyes open for any large amounts of Suna or Oto shinobi.

"You're never going to kick that habit are you Wallcroft?" A woman asked.

Grimes turned and saw Darion standing there with his guard. His eyes fell upon Darion's bodyguard and they widened for a moment. He felt his mouth move upward in a smirk. In front of him was the only original Death Knight from his squad from the Icecrown Campaign that was not a replacement. She had the rank of Private just like him, but now she was wearing the insignia for Lieutenant.

"Heh, guess not. It's been a long time, Zara." Grimes said, saluting her.

"You're doing it backwards, Captain Wallcroft." Zara replied.

He blinked and then realized what she meant and smirked. Zara smirked back and shook his hand. Although she hated most men, she made an acception when it came to Grimes. He was a very respectable person in her mind and he was always looking out for others, which was something a lot of men she knew did not do. That's why she thought Grimes deserved the rank of Captain even though he was only twenty-one.

Grimes for his part couldn't help but look at his old friend with admiration. Zara Ashwing was definitely a beauty despite her being in her late thirties she looked no younger than twenty-five. Her long red hair cascaded down her back like a waterfall. Her glowing blue eyes could freeze the most powerful being in place if she looked at them. Her skin was now dark grey, but it never affected her looks.

"Are you quite done eying me you pervert?" Zara asked.

Grimes sputtered and his face turned red from the comment. Darion shook his head and smirked at the interaction between his officers.

"That's enough. Come Zara, we need to get to the Kage's booth." Darion said, walking into the stadium.

Zara followed after Darion after giving Grimes a playful punch on the shoulder. When she was out of site, Grimes decided to head into the stadium and find a seat.

* * *

Meanwhile in the stadium, the rookies that didn't make it to the finals were finding seats in the crowd. Kurenai sat down by Asuma and Anko in high spirits. Even though only one of her students made it into the round, she would also cheer Naruto on. Anko, noticing Kurenai's happy look, decided to talk to her.

"What's got you so happy, Kurenai?" Anko asked.

"Nothing, just in a good mood, but I guess I should be alert for the invasion as well, huh?" Kurenai replied.

"Oh, did someone have a good date with the hunk by the name of Grimes Wallcroft?" Anko asked with a teasing grin.

Kurenai's face turned red from the comment. It was true. She did have a good date with Grimes that night. Asuma noticed the blush and smirked at his companion.

"I think you're right, Anko. She's blushing." Asuma said with a grin.

"S-Shut-up." Kurenai stammered.

"Oh no, you're telling me what happened on that date right now!"

"Well…"

* * *

_/Flashback/_

_Kurenai was recovering from a laughing outburst from a story Grimes had told her. She had just been told about a prank Grimes' students had pulled against their leader, Darion Mograine._

_"They seriously did that?" Kurenai asked, wiping a tear from her eye._

_"No joke. Those three are constantly doing pranks like that when they get the chance." Grimes replied grinning._

_Their waiter came up to them holding a couple menus. After he set them down, he looked at Grimes for a moment and his eyes widened. If he was right, this was the guy who could sing phenomenally._

_"Excuse me. Are you Grimes Wallcroft?" The waiter asked._

_"Yes I am." Grimes said, turning to him._

_"Hey, listen. We're kind of slow tonight, and we could use some more business. Do you think you can sing to attract anyone?"_

_Kurenai's eyes widened a little since she never knew Grimes could sing._

_"Well, I would be happy to help out, but I'm treating my date to dinner here." Grimes said, nodding at Kurenai._

_"I don't mind, Grimes. In fact, I want to see what you can do." Kurenai interjected._

_"Great! I'll go get the microphone!" The waiter got up and walked away._

_As the waiter walked away, Kurenai tapped Grimes' arm. He turned to her and noticed her with a smile._

_"Why didn't you tell me you could sing?" Kurenai asked._

_"I didn't want to draw attention to myself. I don't even know how that guy knew I could sing." Grimes replied._

_The waiter placed the microphone up on stage, catching the attention of many customers. When he finished setting it up, he turned it on._

_"Good evening ladies and gentlemen. Since it's a slow night and we want some more life in here, we're going to have some open karaoke!" The waiter informed._

_Many whispers and cheers filled the dinner. The waiter walked off the stage and over to Grimes. He handed Grimes the microphone and ushered him up on stage. When Grimes was on stage, he heard many cheers from the ladies which made his face heat up a little._

_"I guess I'm the icebreaker tonight, eh?" Grimes chuckled into the microphone._

_"Alright ladies and gentlemen, give a round of applause for Grimes Wallcroft!" The waiter announced._

_Cheers and applause filled the restaurant for Grimes as he sat down on the stool. He nodded at the waiter and the music began to play. Grimes took a couple deep breaths as he heard the guitar strum. After waiting for a couple seconds, he began to sing._

_**Maybe the sky's falling out around the babies  
Maybe the world is going to spin out of control  
I don't care anymore  
What if I quit today working for the man  
Who said I have another, well, maybe I can  
cause it's all gonna end anyway  
Tell me doctor, what's the cure, for the wicked mans blue's**_

_The crowd began to clap and cheer as Grimes began to sing. The guitar began to play a little louder._

_**Fly Dragonfly  
Fly Dragonfly  
Fly Dragonfly  
Fly Dragonfly**_

_Some of the guests began to cheer louder at finally realizing what song Grimes was singing. Grimes felt himself grin at the praise and took another breath before continuing._

_**When the sky, falls to the sea  
I won't mind  
The cause is me  
When the wind, blows through the trees  
I want to ride  
The dragonfly**_

_**Fly Dragonfly  
Fly Dragonfly**_

_Customers began running out of the restaurant and came back bringing in some more people. It didn't take long until the place was completely packed with customers. Tables began to fill up and the cheering got louder and louder._

_**When I come  
Give me a beat  
and take my advice  
Just let me be**_

When the moon, turns black as night  
When it erupts  
Oh, dragonfly

_The guitar solo kicked in and Grimes took the time to open his eyes to look around. The restaurant's customers were all standing at their tables and cheering him on and on. His eyes fell on Kurenai and he saw her jaw was dropped but it went into a full blown grin. This made him smile knowing she was enjoying it._

_**Don't take so long  
I'll be here before you know  
See you in my mind's eye**_

_**Fly Dragonfly  
Fly Dragonfly  
Fly Dragonfly**_

_**Fly Dragonfly**_

_The last note was played and the restaurant exploded into cheers. Grimes set the microphone down and stood up grinning. He waved to the crowd and walked off the stage._

_"Give it up for Grimes Wallcroft, ladies and gentlemen!" the waiter said, pointing at Grimes as he walked back to the table._

_Grimes sat back down in his chair and waved off the cheers that were being thrown in his direction. Kurenai was grinning at him and had a small blush on her face. It was at this point that Grimes noticed a whole bunch of women were walking over to his table. It made him slightly nervous since he now learned what 'fangirls' did._

_"Back off, he's with me!" Kurenai stated with authority._

_"I don't see your name on him!" One woman retorted._

_Both of them thought quickly but couldn't think of anything to get rid of the women surrounding the table. Grimes did the only thing that came to his mind. He scooted over to Kurenai and kissed her passionately, making the eyes of everyone in the vicinity widen. Kurenai, for her part was thrown off by the sudden kiss but she regained composure and began to kiss back. The women all turned around in a huff and stomped away. When they were all gone, Grimes and Kurenai broke apart for much needed air._

_They looked at each other for a moment, both of them sporting red faces. Grimes pulled Kurenai over to him and put his mouth by her ear._

_"Let's get lost." Grimes whispered._

_"Yeah." Kurenai replied._

_The two of them shunshined away to enjoy the rest of their evening._

_/Flashback End/_

* * *

Anko and Asuma sat their wide eyed before their faces turned into teasing grins. This made Kurenai uncomfortable since she knew what they were probably going to ask her. She was hoping the matches would start so they could divert their attention from her to the fights.

"So did you guys do the nasty-nasty?" Anko teased.

"Anko, for heaven's sake!" Kurenai shouted with a red face.

"So you didn't fuck his brains out?"

"No! And would you please refrain from using such language in public?"

The two of them would have continued their argument, but stopped when Grimes sat down between them.

"So, are you guys ready to watch these fights?" Grimes asked, looking at the three of them.

"Sure am!" Anko replied.

"What about the invasion? Are you all prepared to prevent this war from happening?"

"Definitely," Asuma said, holding a cigarette out to Grimes.

Grimes put the death stick in his mouth and lit it. He puffed out the smoke and thanked Asuma for the cigarette. The crowd suddenly roared as the contestants made their way on to the field for their fights. Grimes looked down and saw Naruto standing there looking calm and confident. But he also noticed something was missing.

"Hey, where are Sasuke and that Oto shinobi?" Kurenai asked, not seeing them on the field.

"I don't know. But I have the feeling Kakashi is responsible for the Uchiha's tardiness." Grimes replied.

* * *

Down in the arena, the remaining participants of the Chunin Exams stood on the field looking at the audience. Naruto looked down the row of his opponents and noticed that Sasuke and Dosu were missing. His eyes narrowed in suspicion but not from Sasuke's absence, more along the lines of Dosu's absence. He was sure Sasuke would make some sort of flashy entrance, but Dosu should have been here by now. The proctor for the exam appeared in front of them in a swirl of leaves. He looked at the contestants and gave them a nod before turning to the stands.

"Welcome to the Chunin Exam finals. I am Genma, the proctor of this exam." Genma announced.

The crowd gave loud cheers and bellows from the stands, eager for the matches to start. Genma saw that Sasuke and Dosu were missing, but he knew why Dosu was missing. He and some fellow Jonin found his remains on a destroyed roof. It was the day they also found Hayate's body a few miles away.

"Before we start, we need to do a quick change in the matches ahead." Genma said, turning to the contestants.

"Why, what's wrong?" Ryuzaki asked, looking at Genma under the brim of his hat.

"Long story short, one of the contestants dropped out, so now we need to switch up the matches. I want you to take a close look at who you're fighting."

Genma held up a modified chart of the matches that were to take place. Round one, Uzumaki Naruto vs. Sabaku no Temari. Round Two, Uchiha Sasuke vs. Sabaku no Gaara. Round Three, Aburame Shino vs Sabaku no Kankuro. Round Four, Nara Shikamaru vs Ryuzaki Sanderson.

"Aw man, what a drag." Shikamaru groaned, not wanting to fight Ryuzaki.

"Now, we're behind schedule. It's time to get this show on the road." Genma said, rolling up the chart.

"I would like to ask those of you who are not fighting to head up to the contestant booth and wait for your match. The two of you who are fighting will remain here until I start your match."

Ryuzaki, Kankuro, Gaara, Shino and Shikamaru walked off the field and up to the contestant box. When the five of them stood up in the box overlooking the arena, Genma started the match.

"Let the match between, Uzumaki Naruto and Sabaku no Temari begin!" Genma yelled, hopping to a surveillance point.

* * *

Naruto looked at Temari, waiting for her to make her move. Temari pulled out her fan and held placed it on the ground in front of her. Naruto's eyes fell on the fan and he reminded himself of her long range attacks and he also knew she could fold the fan and use it for melee if she wished to. He held out his hand and a purple aura appeared in it. There was a crack as Naruto summoned his runeblade and held it at the ready.

"Are we going to start today?" Temari asked, growing impatient.

"You asked for it!" Naruto replied.

Temari blinked, which was her first mistake. No sooner had she done that, Naruto vanished from sight and appeared in front of her. His blade made contact with her fan making it tremble from the strike. Temari brought her fan back and swung it at Naruto's face. He ducked under the attacked and threw a punch at Temari's wrist. His fist made contact with the wrist and made her drop her fan in surprise. She quickly kicked her fan back up with her foot as it fell to the ground and caught it.

She gave a swing and her fan opened sending a blast of wind at Naruto. The blast of wind hit Naruto and sent him towards the opposite end of the arena. He managed to do a backflip and land gracefully. His eyes narrowed in thought as he looked at Temari. Naruto dashed at the wind mistress, building his runic power. Temari brought her fan back to send another shot of wind at Naruto.

Naruto quickly made a few **Kage-Bunshin** and continued towards Temari. At the last second, Naruto's clones grabbed him and threw him over the razor sharp wind.

_"Clone Catapult, success!" _Naruto thought.

He landed and swung his runeblade sending a **Death Coil** at Temari. Temari brought her fan back and swung again, sending the fiery green ball away. The wind blocked the **Death Coil** and sent it at the stadium walls. The wall exploded and left a crater inside of it. Naruto, not letting up, channeled chakra to his clones and charged up another **Death Coil**. He and his clones set multiple **Death Coils** at Temari.

**"Death Coil Barrage!"** Naruto hollered.

Once again, his attacks were repelled with Temari's fan. Naruto jumped between the two **Death Coils** that were launched back at him. He growled in frustration at his failed attempts. His only option was to attack her at close range and remove her fan.

"I was hoping you would be more of a challenge, Uzumaki!" Temari taunted.

"Don't get cocky, Temari! I was just warming up!" Naruto grinned back.

"Well pick up the pace then!"

Naruto stood up and closed his eyes. His speed was fast, but not fast enough to get inside Temari's guard. Using his speed alone would only prove pointless.

* * *

"Hey, Kyuubi?"

**"Yes Kit?"** Kyuubi replied.

"Think you can give me a speed boost?"

**"Yeah, I can. I'll give you some of my chakra to increase your speed and power. You've got about two minutes."**

"That's long enough."

**"Go get her Kit!"**

* * *

Naruto released a deep breath and his eyes snapped open. He felt Kyuubi's chakra surging through his entire being. His senses were heightened, allowing him to hear Temari's breathing. Her breath was steady, but he could tell she was getting worn out from swinging her fan frequently. He looked at Temari and gave a smirk.

"Here we go." Naruto muttered.

Everyone had to do a double take at what happened next. One second Naruto was standing there, and then suddenly he disappeared from sight. The place where he had been standing now had a small hole in the spot. Temari was suddenly on alert and her eyes darted around the stadium trying to find Naruto. She felt a sudden spike of chakra from behind her and sidestepped to the right. Naruto stood in her previous spot and swung his sword at her. She blocked the attack, but almost dropped her fan from the brute force.

_"What the heck? When he did that earlier it wasn't that strong, now it's stronger!"_ Temari thought in surprise.

She ducked under Naruto's swing and jabbed at his ribs with her fan. The attack hit Naruto but it didn't make him recoil in shock or pain. This angered her and she swung her fan harder. Naruto parried the strike and wrapped his arm around her and twisted his body down. Temari gave a gasp in pain from the strain on her arm and dropped her fan. It was at this point that she realized Naruto's plan.

_"He's trying to separate me from my fan. This isn't good!"_ Temari thought.

Naruto brought Temari back up and threw her away from him. She rolled across the ground and spotted her fan a few feet away from her. Temari made a mad dash for her fan, not noticing Naruto finishing a handsign. As Temari was within arm's length of the fan, Naruto stepped on the fan and pointed his blade at her face. She leapt back and growled in anger before going through handsigns. She was suddenly stopped when she was tackled from behind. Peering over her shoulder, she saw a Kage-Bunshin resting his foot on the small of her back, pointing his blade at her spine.

"Yield." Naruto said coolly.

Temari opened her mouth to speak but noticed the piercing glare Naruto was giving her. In reality if this was a battle, she would be killed at the moment. She mentally kicked herself for not noticing the strategy before it was too late.

"Proctor, I yield!" Temari called out to Genma.

Genma nodded and motioned for Naruto to release her. He did as he was told and he handed Temari her fan back.

"Good fight, Temari-Chan." Naruto whispered in her ear.

Temari's face turned red from the suffix and she began to sputter in surprise.

"Shousha, Uzumaki Naruto!" Genma announced.

* * *

The audience exploded into applause at the fight. Many shinobi and civilians were surprised that Naruto managed to win the fight. Earlier they had their doubts because of the range advantage that Temari had, but he managed to get in her guard and force her to forfeit the match to him. Grimes, Kurenai, Anko, Gaz, Mac, Darion, Hinata and Zara were applauding the loudest.

"Yes, that's how you do it! Nice job, Naruto!" Grimes hollered.

"Way to go, gaki!" Anko cheered.

"He won!" Hinata shouted, clapping happily.

Up in the Kage's Booth, Darion, Sarutobi and the Kazekage were applauding the fight. Darion smirked to himself and couldn't wait to see the look on Naruto's face when he learned of his new rank. Sarutobi was grinning broadly at his surrogate grandson.

_"Minato, Kushina, you would be very proud of your son right now."_ Sarutobi thought to himself.

"It seems Naruto was trained very well, eh, Darion?" Zara asked.

"Definitely." Darion replied.

_"Hmm, the Kyuubi-brat actually won. Let's see how he gets through the rest of the day."_ The Kazekage thought.

Sarutobi and Darion felt a presence from behind them and turned to see a Jonin standing there.

"What is it?" Sarutobi asked.

"Uchiha Sasuke hasn't arrived yet. Should we wait for him or disqualify him?" the Jonin asked.

"Hokage-Sama, if I may?" The Kazekage spoke up.

"Go on."

"Many people came here to see the Uchiha's fight, and cancelling it will obviously make them upset. Besides, I want to see my son fight the 'Last Uchiha'. Perhaps we could push it back until later?"

"Bullshit. If he isn't here for his match, he should be disqualified. Everyone else is on time for their respective fights. The Uchiha shouldn't get that right since it wouldn't apply for any of the other contestants. If this were a mission, he would've just screwed his comrades over. He needs to learn from his mistake!" Zara snapped.

"Zara, calm down. But I must agree with this, Hokage-Sama. We shouldn't give him a chance because it would be unreasonable to the other participants." Darion said.

"Very well, you have a point. As of now, Uchiha Sasuke is disqualified from the finals." Sarutobi said with a nod.

"Hai, Hokage-Sama." The Jonin replied, shunshining away.

"Serves him right." Zara muttered.

_"Damn-it, this isn't turning out how I expected."_ The Kazekage thought angrily.

* * *

Back down in the contestant's booth, Naruto and Temari walked back over to the railing. Both of them acknowledged the others with a nod or wave before walking to their comrades. Naruto stood between Shikamaru and Ryuzaki and looked around the crowd. He didn't see any Suna or Oto shinobi in the crowd which worried him.

"Nice fight, Uzumaki-San." Ryuzaki said, sparing him a glance.

"Thanks Ryuzaki." Naruto replied.

"Man, if that was my fight I would have given up as soon as it started. This month has just been really troublesome for me." Shikamaru noted.

Ryuzaki sent a look at Shikamaru which showed irritation.

"You better not throw in the towel for our fight, Nara." Ryuzaki said with a glare.

"Meh, I don't care. But I guess I can humor you for a bit."

Ryuzaki shook his head and faced the field muttering something that sounded like, "Fucking pussy".

* * *

Genma walked on to the field and looked at the crowd. He hadn't seen any Suna or Oto shinobi in the crowd and that troubled him. All of the Konoha Shinobi knew of the upcoming invasion, but they weren't sure how it would start. This made Genma think that they were waiting for a signal to attack from outside the village. He cleared his throat and looked at the crowd.

"I ask for the contestants in round two to come down here at this time." Genma requested.

Gaara appeared in front of him with a Sand Shunshin. His face showed bloodlust as he glanced around the stadium. Genma didn't see Sasuke yet and cleared his throat.

"Uchiha Sasuke, come on down. If you aren't here in five minutes you forfeit your match!" Genma called.

The crowd gave angry cries at that statement. Grimes, Kurenai, Anko, Asuma and Gai flinched when they heard Sakura's angry shrieks a few rows away. Time ticked by and Sasuke still hadn't arrived on the field. A few shinobi began to grow angry with the Uchiha's tardiness and were beginning to hope he would be disqualified. Five minutes came and went and then Genma sighed in disappointment.

"Since Uchiha Sasuke has failed to report to his match, he is now disqualified. Shousha, Sabaku no Gaara." Genma announced.

Many jeers and angry shouts came from the crowd at the announcement. Gaara's face went to a frown and he growled before shunshining back into the contestant's booth. Kankuro looked at Shino from the corner of his eye as his mind raced.

_"Damn-it, I wasn't even supposed to fight. Sasuke was supposed to be here for the attack to start, and if I do fight I'll ruin the plan."_ Kankuro thought.

"Proctor, I forfeit my match! Continue without me!" Kankuro called down to Genma.

"What?" Shino thought, narrowing his eyes at Kankuro.

"Very well. Shousha, Aburame Shino!" Genma said.

"Ryuzaki Sanderson and Nara Shikamaru, come on down!"

"Aw, come on!" Shikamaru groaned.

Ryuzaki stood in the field facing Shikamaru with a neutral expression, but he was glad Shikamaru was at least going to participate for a bit.

"Begin!" Genma yelled, hopping away.

* * *

Ryuzaki dashed at Shikamaru with incredible speed and sunk his fist into his stomach. Shikamaru's face scrunched in pain and he was sent into the air. As he soared higher, he attempted to think of a strategy to capture Ryuzaki with his shadow possession. Shikamaru tried to go into a flip to land properly but felt a strike hit him in the back. Ryuzaki had shunshined into the air and brought his heel down on Shikamaru's back. Shikamaru rocketed to the ground but managed to do a perfect land and somersaulted to his feet. He cursed his luck at getting a bad deal by fighting Ryuzaki. Thinking quickly he pulled out a kunai and threw it in the air at Ryuzaki. The sudden attack through Ryuzaki off and made him swerve out of the way. Shikamaru threw another kunai at Ryuzaki, only to have it parried by Ryuzaki's blade.

Changing his strategy, he wrapped an explosive tag around the new kunai he pulled out. After wrapping it around the hilt, he threw it at the spot Ryuzaki was about to land. Ryuzaki landed just as the kunai was about to hit him. He quickly swerved to the left and watched as the kunai went by him. That's when he noticed the explosive tag around the hilt of the kunai.

"Shit!" Ryuzaki hissed.

The kunai exploded, engulfing Ryuzaki in the dirt and flames. Shikamaru took the time to dash over to the trees and bushes to hide and bide his time. When the dirt cleared, Ryuzaki was seen dusting himself off. He chuckled and looked around the arena for Shikamaru. His eyes fell upon the only form of cover which was the bushes and trees.

"I must say that was a clever move, Nara-San." Ryuzaki called over to him.

He pulled out his blade and channeling chakra into it. Swinging his blade, he sent a blast of wind at the trees. Shikamaru was slammed into the wall from the sudden attack and cursed himself for forgetting about Ryuzaki's long ranged blade attacks. Shikamaru quickly pulled out another kunai as well some rope before taking off his jacket.

_"Please Kami, let this work!"_ Shikamaru prayed.

Ryuzaki kept his eyes on the trees, waiting for Shikamaru to make a move. He began to walk over to the cover, holding his blade at the ready in case of a sudden attack. As he neared the bush, the darker it got.

"Wait a minute… this guy can manipulate shadows!" Ryuzaki muttered.

No sooner had the words left his mouth he saw a dark shadow shoot towards him from the bushes. He backflipped away from it, but it continued to chase him. This confused him at first but then he noticed the clouds in the sky covering the arena in shadow.

"Damn-it!" Ryuzaki shouted.

He jumped out of the shadows and into the light. Ryuzaki watched as the shadow stretched out into the light a little bit before stopping. He let out a sigh in relief and smirked. This kid was pretty smart, but that was expected of all Nara men. Ryuzaki raised his blade to swing but suddenly found himself paralyzed.

"Wait a minute, what the hell is going on?" Ryuzaki asked himself.

That's when he heard those three words that made his eyes widen.

"Shadow Possession success." Shikamaru said, walking into the arena.

Ryuzaki's body began walking towards Shikamaru against his will. He was glad that Shikamaru put up a decent fight, but he was pretty angry that he was caught. That's when Ryuzaki looked up into the sky and noticed Shikamaru's jacket drifting to the ground with a kunai pulling it.

"I see now. You used your jacked as a form of shadow to stretch it further into the light to get me. Very clever, Nara-San." Ryuzaki said.

"Thanks. But why don't we finish the match here?" Shikamaru replied.

The two of them stood in the center of the arena and Shikamaru raised his arm, making Ryuzaki mimic him.

"Proctor… I forfeit." Shikamaru declared.

There was a long silence which was broken by two angry yells.

"What the fuck!" Ryuzaki and Ino yelled.

"I'm out of chakra, Ryuzaki. This match is yours so I only have ten seconds until the possession wears off on you."

Sure enough, Ryuzaki felt his body return to normal and flexed his fist. He began to walk over to Shikamaru to pummel him across the face but stopped.

"Well, since you put up a good fight, I won't hit you." Ryuzaki said smirking.

"Whatever." Shikamaru replied, rolling his eyes.

* * *

Shikamaru and Ryuzaki entered the contestant booth and walked over to Naruto. He looked at them and shook his head. That fight was quite interesting, although it was a little boring to him since it took a long time, but strategy is the key to winning. Now it was time for the second round of matches to begin. Naruto glanced at Gaara from the corner of his eye and noticed his insane grin.

_"Oh boy…"_ Naruto thought.

**"I've got you're back on this one Naruto."** Kyuubi said.

"Thanks Kyuubi."

Grimes looked down at Naruto from his seat and then glanced at Gaara. He remembered was Gaara did to Lee during the preliminary rounds and began to worry if Naruto would get through this alive. If things got bad he would intervene and stop the match. Sarutobi was feeling nervous too as he watched Gaara and Naruto stare each other down on the field.

_"Be careful, Naruto."_ Sarutobi thought.

Down on the field, Naruto and Gaara stood there glaring at each other. Genma noticed the blood crazed look on Gaara's face as he looked at Naruto. It put him on edge and he was ready to intervene if things got out of control. He cleared his throat and looked at the audience.

* * *

"Let the match between, Uzumaki Naruto and Sabaku no Gaara begin!" Genma said.

Just then, a swirl of leaves appeared between Gaara and Naruto. When the leaves dispersed, it revealed the last two people Naruto wanted to see. In front of him stood Hatake Kakashi and Uchiha Sasuke.

"Sorry, are we late?" Kakashi asked smiling sheepishly.

"Yes you are, now get off the field for the fight." Naruto sneered.

"Dobe, get off the field, this is my fight!" Sasuke snapped.

"You had your chance an hour ago, dipshit. Now get off the field!"

"Naruto, that's enough." Kakashi said glaring at him.

"Oh put a cork in it and get off the field!"

"Kakashi, get off the field…now!" Grimes said, appearing in front of him.

"I have yet to hear anything from the proctor. Until I hear his response I'm not moving."

Grimes growled and rested his hand on his blade, ready to cut Kakashi to pieces.

"Kakashi, Naruto and Grimes are right. Sasuke decided to be late, so he was disqualified. Now get off the field before I throw you off." Genma said glaring at the two of them.

"You can't disqualify me, I'm an Uchiha!" Sasuke objected.

"I can and I did, now get off the field."

Sasuke began to walk forward towards Genma but was stopped when Grimes pointed his blade at his face.

"Kakashi, keep Sasuke on a leash, this is your last warning. If he does something out of line in my presence again, I will not hesitate to knock some sense into him. Do I make myself clear?" Grimes asked glaring at Kakashi.

"Fine. Come on Sasuke. You'll get another chance in a couple months." Kakashi replied, putting a hand on his student's shoulder.

Kakashi sent one last look at Grimes that read, "This isn't over".

"Thanks for that." Naruto whispered.

"No problem. Now be careful against this guy, Naruto." Grimes replied, shunshining away.

* * *

Grimes appeared back in his seat between Anko and Kurenai. He sighed and lit another cigarette as he waited for the match to start.

"You okay, Grimes?" Anko asked, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Yeah, I'm fine. But my patience has reached its limit with those two." Grimes answered, puffing out some smoke.

"I can tell. You looked ready to kill them both."

Kakashi and Sasuke stood in the aisle beside them. Both of them shot a look of hate at Grimes who just looked at them and blinked. He sat there and put his fist by his other and began to crank it forward. After he cranked his fist, his left middle finger flipped them the bird. Sasuke glared at him and activated his Sharingan. Grimes rolled his eyes and turned back to the field not wanting to deal with the two of them.

Back on the field, Genma cleared his throat again and looked at the crowd.

"Let the match between, Uzumaki Naruto and Sabaku no Gaara begin!"

* * *

**Well, that's the chapter, read and review as always people. Now I don't know when I'll update again, so all I can say is keep your eyes peeled. Next chapter, Naruto vs Gaara/Shukaku, this fight is going to be one I'll make on an epic level. Now I hope this is enough to satisfy you guys for now, but I promise Naruto vs Gaara/Shukaku will be worth the wait, I need time to plot it out. Now I hope you guys are enjoying the story so far. If one of you guys can identify the band that sings the song in the chapter here, you'll get a prize. But if you've already won one of my contests and you get it right, I'll skip you on this one because I want to give everyone a fair chance, sorry, but you're still welcome to post your answer. Don't forget about the new poll on my profile page! See you next time-CaptainPrice.**

**OC (Property of Exiled Crow) (A/N: Dude I hope I got your character down the way you want, if I didn't please correct me.)**

**Name: Zara Ashwing**

**Age: 37**

**Death Knight Rank: Lieutenant**

**Spec (Frost/Blood/Unholy): Unknown**

**Character Popularity results:**

**1st: Naruto-57**

**2nd: Grimes-35**

**3rd: Hinata-33**

**4rth: Mac-12**

**5th: Kurenai-11**

**6th (Tie): Gaz and Ryuzaki-9**

**7th: Shino-5**

**8th: Sakura-2 (WTF is wrong with you guys? lol J/K it was your choice =P)**

**9th: (Tie/ Kiba/Walter (Gaz's Ghoul)-1**

**10th: (Tie Sasuke/Kakashi)-0**


	19. Naruto vs Gaara Part 1

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**Yo, CaptainPrice here with another update for 'Shinobi of the Ebon Blade'. Now I apologize for this being late, but as I recall stating in the last chapter that I won't be able to update as much. Since I had the chance to do it, I decided to do it now. It took me a while to write this because I'm been busy with ROTC, College and a possible new girlfriend. But now that I'm here with an update it's time for me to be quiet and for you to enjoy the chapter. Please read the A/N at the end of the chapter for some announcements I have. Read and Review when done please.**

**Bold- Inner Sakura/Kyuubi/Gaara while transforming/Shukaku/Jutsu/Death Knight Attacks**

**_Italics- Thoughts/Letters/Flashbacks_**

**Disclaimer- I do NOT own Naruto or Wow. I DO own the OCs, the story, and the idea of the story!**

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* * *

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Naruto was facing Gaara who currently had an insane grin etched across his face. He narrowed his eyes and slowly drew his blade not once taking his eyes off Gaara. Gaara stood there arms crossed as he waited for Naruto to attack.

"I'm growing impatient, Uzumaki." Gaara said, closing his eyes.

Naruto channeled some chakra and dashed at Gaara with quick speed. Gaara's eyes widened slightly but reverted back when his sand blocked Naruto's slash. He continued his attack with an **Icy Touch**, freezing part of Gaara's sand shield. Naruto stabbed his blade through Gaara's sand shattered it. He charged at Gaara and smashed into him with a strong tackle. Gaara was launched off his feet and cushioned by his sand before he hit the ground.

_"How did he do that?"_ thought Gaara as he glared at Naruto.

Gaara stood up and raised his arm towards Naruto. A large arm of sand formed and shot at Naruto with incredible speed. Naruto dove to the right to avoid the crushing blow, but found himself dodging again as it came back. Another arm of sand formed and came towards Naruto's left. He cursed and back flipped away from the two arms of sand. The arms smashed into his previous spot forming a cloud of dust.

**"Naruto, be careful. I can sense a demonic power inside him. It's possible that those sand arms are reinforced with that power. Depending where those arms hit you, I can't guarantee your victory."** Kyuubi warned.

_"I see. Any idea which demon he holds?" _Naruto replied.

**"It has to be Shukaku. That's the only demon that uses sand."**

_"Alright, thanks."_

He ran at Gaara, sending a couple **Death Coils** at him as he advanced. One by one the** Death Coils** were blocked by Gaara's sand shield. Naruto encased Gaara's sand in some more ice and began pumping his chakra into his blade. He gave a strong slash and his blade cut completely through the shield, narrowly missing Gaara's chest. Gaara's eyes grew wide once again and he decided to try something else. Gaara sent a punch out and his sand hit Naruto straight in the gut. Naruto felt the wind get knocked out of him as he was sent airborne towards the wall. He managed to do a flip and land on his knees. He winced as he stood up and felt his ribs ache from a bruise that was beginning to form. Naruto looked up and noticed Gaara was forming a giant ball of sand around his person.

* * *

Back in the stands, Grimes narrowed his eyes in suspicion as he saw Gaara retreat into his dome of sand. He began to wonder what Gaara was doing and his eyes widened in horror as a giant demonic arm of sand shot towards Naruto from the dome. Everyone was looking at the shocking display with horrified expressions.

"What the hell was that?" Asuma asked in shock.

"I don't know, but it wasn't human." Kurenai replied.

_"Not human… wait a minute!"_ Grimes thought.

_/Flashback/_

_The Hokage puffed out some smoke from his pipe as he looked at the Jonin in front of him._

_"You know what you're here for, correct?" Hiruzen inquired._

_Grimes nodded in confirmation as the Hokage sat down in his chair._

_"So did Kabuto give you any information regarding the signal for the invasion to begin?" Grimes asked._

_"Not exactly, but Kabuto did say that Suna and Oto had a secret weapon of some sort to ensure their victory."_

_/Flashback End/_

"Naruto, get out of there!" Grimes hollered.

"What's wrong?" Kurenai asked.

"I think Gaara is the secret weapon that Suna and Oto are going to use for this battle."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive. That means that the Suna and Oto shinobi are nearby."

Grimes looked around the crowd and it slowly came to him. The enemies were disguised in the audience as civilians. This was very unnerving since he could not sense any chakra from them and there was no way to determine the size of their force. He was brought out of his thoughts when an earsplitting scream filled the arena.

"MY BLOOD, IT'S MY BLOOD!" Gaara roared.

* * *

Gaara's sand dome slowly collapsed around his feet to reveal him clutching his shoulder where Naruto's blade stabbed him. Temari and Kankuro appeared beside their brother holding him up. Both of them were appalled that Gaara was actually bleeding.

"Gaara, are you alright?" Temari asked.

Gaara didn't respond he was too shocked after seeing his blood for the first time. Temari and Kankuro looked at Naruto with fear. If he was able to make Gaara bleed, then he was clearly more powerful than they originally anticipated.

"Temari, we need to get Gaara out of here." Kankuro whispered.

"I know, but we can't unless the signal is given." Temari replied.

"Don't worry, the genjutsu just started."

Temari nodded and dispelled the genjutsu after feeling it. There was a loud explosion and they looked towards the Kage's booth to see a cloud of smoke. Naruto looked up at the booth with wide eyes.

"Old man!" Naruto called out.

He turned and glared at the sand siblings pointing his blade at them. Kankuro got in front of Temari and Gaara to defend them if Naruto attacked. Kankuro let out a sigh of relief to see Baki appear in front of him.

"Kankuro, hurry up and get Gaara out of here." Baki ordered.

"Right!" Kankuro nodded.

The sand siblings began to run towards the destroyed wall for their escape. Naruto growled and ran after them only to have Baki appear in front of him. Baki pulled out a kunai and pointed it at Naruto. Genma appeared between them and looked back at Naruto.

"Naruto, go and find Grimes to see what he wants you to do, I'll take care of this clown." Genma said, pulling out a kunai of his own.

Naruto nodded and shunshined into the stands to try and find his brother.

* * *

Grimes parried a slash from a Suna shinobi and plunged his other sword into him. He kicked the corpse off his blade and threw his sword at an Oto shinobi. The sword sunk into the Oto shinobi's head and was removed as Grimes flipped over him. He looked around to assess the situation before him. There were four Jonin including himself dispatching the shinobi in the stands. His students were currently taking on some shinobi and Naruto vanished from the field below. He could see Sakura cowering behind some seats to avoid the violent clash around her.

"Grimes, lookout!" Naruto called.

Grimes turned around and saw a Suna shinobi suddenly freeze in a wall of ice. He let out a sigh of relief as Naruto appeared piercing his blade through the incapacitated shinobi.

"Where's Gaara?" Grimes asked going back to back with Naruto.

"His team carried him off towards the forest for safety." Naruto replied, sending a **Death Coil** towards an unsuspecting Oto shinobi.

"Alright, Naruto, I need you to listen closely."

"Go ahead."

"I want you to go and stop Gaara. I think he's the secret weapon that they are planning to use for the invasion here."

"Yeah, Kyuubi said that something was off about Gaara. He said that he could sense a demonic presence inside of him."

"If that's the case, it's a possibility he's a Jinchuriki like you."

"I take it you'll send Mac and Zano as backup?"

"Yeah, I'll send them after we finish mopping up here."

Naruto nodded and turned to look at the destroyed wall of the arena. It was at that point he saw Sasuke running off in the direction towards the sand siblings.

"Shit, Sasuke is going after Gaara!" Naruto swore.

"That stupid git! Alright, change in plan. Naruto, round up any genin that aren't unconscious and go after Sasuke. Stop him from reaching Gaara at all costs." Grimes replied.

Naruto nodded and ran towards Mac and Gaz to inform them of the plan. He arrived just in time to blast a Suna shinobi away with a **Death Coil**. After informing them of the plan, Gaz and Mac agreed they would finish up as soon as they could to help Naruto. Naruto turned and pulled Sakura to her feet.

"On your feet Sakura, we've got to stop Sasuke." Naruto stated.

"Says who?" Sakura replied bitterly.

"Grimes told me to stop Sasuke from taking on Gaara, and he told me to grab any genin who weren't unconscious. So that means you."

"Sasuke-kun can take Gaara on, and it will be a cold day in hell before I take orders from you!"

Naruto lost all patience and did something he wanted to do for a long time. He quickly wheeled around and struck Sakura across the face before slamming her against a nearby pillar.

"Listen here, Haruno. I am doing my job as a shinobi by taking orders from my commanding officer and putting them to use. And that order was for me to take any genin who wasn't unconscious or currently fighting to intercept Sasuke and stop him. So I am your current commander whether you like it or not and you will follow this order. Because if you don't, I'll make sure your ass is reported for going against a command that was given to you! Do I make myself clear?" Naruto hissed.

Sakura's eyes filled with tears and she nodded dumbly. Naruto released his group and turned to see Shino and Shikamaru standing behind him.

"We heard the order." Shino said with his monotone.

"Good, so I don't need to repeat myself do I?" Naruto replied.

Naruto beckoned them to follow him towards the destroyed wall. Their time was limited now since Sasuke had almost a five minute head start. The four of them began their chase towards the forest to stop Sasuke.

* * *

Meanwhile in the stands, Gaz and Mac finished off the last shinobi that attacked them. This left Gaz with 12 kills and Mac with 13 much to Gaz's annoyance. They hurried over to Grimes who was standing in a semicircle with the other Jonin.

"Okay, we finished off the last one." Mac said.

"Nicely done." Grimes replied.

"We're going to help Naruto and the others," Gaz said turning around.

"Hold on, Gaz. There's been a change in plans."

"How so?"

"We just received word that there are still enemy forces throughout Konoha. We need to liberate them."

"But then we need to inform Naruto of this!" Mac said.

"I'm way ahead of you. Asuma, do you think you can go catch up with Naruto and inform him of the change in plans?"

"Leave it to me." Asuma replied.

"Here, I'll summon one of my dogs to help you track them." Kakashi said, planting his palm on the ground.

There was a crack and a small brown dog appeared before them.

"What's up, Kakashi?" the dog asked.

"Pakkun, I need you to lead Asuma here to some genin that are tracking down another genin."

"Very well. Follow me, Asuma-san." Pakkun said, running towards the destroyed wall.

Asuma and Pakkun disappeared from sight after finding Naruto's scent. Grimes glared at Kakashi but stopped himself from lashing out at him. He would have words with Hiruzen after this was over with.

"So what's the plan?" Gaz asked.

"I want you both to find the remaining rookies, wake them up, and form groups of two. When you do that I want you to perform a 360 liberation of the village. There should be other Jonin and ANBU on this already, but I want you to help them out. If any Jonin or ANBU give you an order, follow it."

"Hai," Mac and Gaz replied, shunshining away to find the others.

"What about Hokage-Sama, Grimes?" Kurenai asked.

"There's not much we can do, Kurenai. That barrier that's surrounding him is impenetrable. We just have to have faith in him."

"He's right," said Zara, appearing beside Grimes.

"Where's Darion?" Grimes asked.

"He's helping the Hokage with Orochimaru, so they shouldn't have many problems."

"Alright, that means you're helping with the liberation I take it?"

"That's right. Did you pair any of us up yet?"

"No, I was going to have us go around by ourselves to cover more ground. It's come to my attention that most of the shinobi we're fighting are around Chunin to low Jonin level."

Zara nodded and pulled out her blade, dragging her finger along the side. Grimes pulled out his greatsword and looked around at the others.

"Same plan, choose a direction and liberate the village. When you finish report back here and set up a checkpoint."

Everyone nodded and shunshined outside the stadium to help clear the village.

* * *

Gaz and Mac found Hinata and Kiba lying on the ground. They channeled chakra into their fingers and pressed them to their temples, releasing the genjutsu. Hinata sat up abruptly and looked around noticing the dead and injured shinobi. She stood up slowly and shook her head to get rid of her drowsiness.

"You alright, Hinata?" Mac asked, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Yes, just a little disoriented, give me a moment." Hinata replied.

"What's going on?" Kiba grumbled.

"The invasion started and we have to repel it," Gaz informed, pulling him to his feet.

"What are the orders?" Hinata asked.

"I'll explain when we find round up Ino, Chouji, Tenten and Neji." Mac replied.

"What about Ryuzaki?" Gaz asked.

"That won't be necessary. He followed Naruto once he left the stadium with his group."

The four of them ran down to the next rows and found Chouji and Ino unconscious. After waking them up they proceeded to the upper floor of the stadium to search of Neji and Tenten. It didn't take long to find them because they were both up and taking down a Suna shinobi together.

"Good to see you both are in one piece." Gaz said with a small smile.

"Likewise," Tenten nodded in agreement.

"So what do we do now?" Ino asked.

"We split up into groups of two and liberate the city of any enemy forces. There are eight of us so we'll do the four standard directions such as north, south, east and west first. When we clear the enemies from those directions, we'll continue with southeast, southwest, northeast, northwest. After that is done, we'll report back here where a checkpoint should be set up." Mac informed.

"Sounds like a plan," Neji said, crossing his arms.

"What are the groups?" Kiba asked.

"Mac and I will be one. Tenten and Kiba. Neji and Hinata. Then Ino and Chouji." Gaz replied.

"Okay, let's move out!"

* * *

Naruto, Shino, Sakura and Shikamaru were soaring through the trees, desperate to catch up with Sasuke. It didn't help that Sasuke had a five minute head start, so he could have already caught up with the sand siblings by now. Shikamaru worked his way up to Naruto to talk to him.

"Naruto, I think we're going to have company. I can sense some chakra signatures coming from our rear," Shikamaru said, glancing back.

"I can sense them too. There's about five of them and if we stop to fight, we won't be able to stop Sasuke." Naruto replied.

"I have a feeling we have backup coming as well. I'll stay behind and try to bide some time for you."

"Okay, just try not to get killed."

Shikamaru smirked and stopped as he landed on the next branch. He turned around and pulled out some kunai and explosive tags. Everyone looked back to see Shikamaru disappear from sight.

"We're almost there guys, keep moving!" Naruto urged.

* * *

Shikamaru stopped and placed the last explosive tag in the bushes. He pulled out another kunai to defend himself from the incoming enemies. He looked up and saw five Oto shinobi appear in the clearing before him. They all surrounded him and pulled out various weapons from kunai, to trench knives, and swords.

"Well, well, look what we have here." Said one Oto shinobi.

"This one's mine!" another yelled, dashing towards Shikamaru.

_"Kaboom." _Shikamaru thought.

Ten explosions filled the area as the explosive tags that Shikamaru planted went off. He used his chance and went through his hand signs to perform his family jutsu. The last sign was formed and Shikamaru's shadow shot forth in multiple directions to stop the enemy. Once the smoke and dirt cleared, Shikamaru could see he successfully caught all five enemies in his shadow. However, he knew he wasn't going to be able to hold them for long since his chakra was still low after his fight with Ryuzaki.

"You little shit! Once I get out of here, you're as good as dead!" barked an Oto shinobi.

"By then you'll all be dead and I'll be napping against that tree there." Shikamaru retorted.

"Cocky little brat!" snarled another.

Time slowly ticked by and Shikamaru could feel his chakra reaching the end of its rope. He grit his teeth in frustration that the backup still hadn't arrived and began to wonder if anyone was coming at all. He grunted as his arms fell to his side and jutsu dispelled. The Oto shinobi stood up and began to walk towards him with sinister grins. Shikamaru pressed himself up against the tree and looked back on his life.

_"Guess I'll never get that wife or kids dream accomplished."_ Shikamaru thought.

"Game over kid," said an Oto shinobi, bringing down his sword.

Shikamaru closed his eyes as he waited for the incoming strike. In the back of his mind he felt his trouble slowly fading away. He opened his eyes and they widened when they fell upon Ryuzaki as he landed directly behind the Oto shinobi. He brought his blade up and slammed it into the ground.

**"Raiton: Lightning Surge."** Ryuzaki muttered.

The ground trembled and dust shot up as streaks of white lightning was sent in all directions. The Oto shinobi howled in pain and turned around with difficulty to see Ryuzaki. They glared at him and began to move towards him.

"Now you die," Ryuzaki whispered as he vanished.

"What the hell? Where'd he go?" shouted one.

He got his answer when a knife slammed into his spinal cord, ending his life. Ryuzaki wrenched his knife out of the shinobi's back and threw it at another that was looking away. There was a sickening squelch as the knife embedded itself into the shinobi's skull. One shinobi was about to plunge his kunai into Ryuzaki but was shocked as he ended up ending his comrade's life instead. Ryuzaki used a **Kawarimi** at the last second to avoid the fatal strike. He blazed through hand signs and faced his enemy.

**"Dai Endan!"** Ryuzaki hissed.

Balls of fire shot at the Oto shinobi. The shinobi, however, had the same abilities that Zaku had.

**"Zankuuha!"** He bellowed.

The massive sound wave shot at Ryuzaki's fireballs. The fireballs dispersed but two kunai became visible.

"Shit!"

The Oto shinobi did a performed a backflip to dodge between the kunai. What he didn't realize was the explosive tags on the hilt of the kunai. There was a loud bang as the kunai exploded, sending the shinobi face first into a tree breaking his neck on impact. The last Oto shinobi was about to flee, but was cut down by Asuma as he appeared.

"About time you guys got here!" Shikamaru barked.

"Sorry." Ryuzkai shrugged.

"Are you alright, Shikamaru?" Asuma asked as he walked over to him.

"I'm still in one piece, but I'm out of chakra."

"Asuma-sensei, I'm going to continue with Pakkun and give Naruto backup." Ryuzaki said jumping into the trees.

"Make sure to bring Sasuke back when you stop him. We don't need him to do anything foolish." Asuma replied.

Ryuzaki nodded and disappeared from sight, Pakkun following close behind.

* * *

Naruto, Shino and Sakura continued their trek through the forest. Each of them was hoping Shikamaru was able to survive long enough for reinforcements to arrive. As they continued forward, a loud explosion met their ears. It was coming from straight ahead. Not wasting any time, Naruto pumped his chakra into his legs and made long leaps towards the sight.

Breaking through the trees, Naruto's eyes fell upon a fairly large crater. And not too far away from the crater was…Temari! Naruto jumped down and hurried over to Temari. He slid across the ground and began checking her vitals. Shino landed beside Naruto and looked down at Temari. He quirked an eyebrow in surprise as he watched Naruto attending to an enemy shinobi. Sakura arrived a few seconds later panting heavily which made Naruto and Shino roll their eyes.

"Naruto-baka, what are you doing? We have to find Sasuke-kun!" Sakura shrieked.

"Shut your mouth, Haruno. I'm pretty sure Sasuke was the one that attacked Temari here, and I'm not going to leave her here wounded." Naruto replied.

Naruto reached into his medical pouch and pulled out some ointment and bandages. As he cleaned Temari's wounds he made his decision.

"Shino, take Sakura and intercept Sasuke. You're in command until I catch up." Naruto said, looking at his companion.

"As you wish," Shino replied, jumping back into the trees.

Sakura followed Shino after glaring back at Naruto. Naruto finished wrapping the last bandage around Temari's ankle and sat her up against the tree. He spent about ten minutes getting her patched up and he would have to move very quick if he was going to catch up to Shino and Sakura. He summoned a clone and ordered it to keep guard over Temari.

_"Kyuubi, can you give me a speed boost? I need to catch up with Shino."_ Naruto thought.

**"Coming right up, Naruto,"** Kyuubi said, sending his chakra into Naruto.

Naruto felt his body tingling with the demonic chakra. His eyes flashed red for a moment as he felt it surge through him. He took a deep breath and jumped into the trees. Naruto grinned to himself as he jumped further than ever to each tree. It wasn't long until he was within forty yards of Shino and Sakura. Kyuubi's chakra faded and he made the final jump to land by Shino.

"I'm back." Naruto grinned.

"Welcome back, Naruto." Shino replied.

"Took you long enough!" Sakura snapped.

Naruto ignored Sakura and continued to lead them through the trees. He was starting to pick up faint traces of chakra coming from ahead. He was finally able to fully sense Sasuke's chakra and he quickened his pace to Sasuke's location. A few minutes later they came to a stop on some branches and saw Sasuke smirking at Gaara and Kankuro.

"Shit, not you now!" Kankuro hissed.

Sasuke turned his head to see Naruto, Sakura and Shino standing behind him. He gave a scowl and glared at them.

"What are you doing here?" Sasuke sneered.

"We're here to stop you from making a mistake, Uchiha-san." Shino replied with his monotone voice.

"Well, you'll have to wait in line. I've got a score to settle with Gaara."

"Sasuke, just let them go. If you don't, I won't hesitate to use force." Naruto said, trying to reason with Sasuke first.

"Ha! Spare me, dobe! You really think you can defeat me?"

"I can and I will if I have to."

"Naruto-baka, if you even touch Sasuke-kun I'll pound you into next week!" Sakura hollered.

"That's enough out of you!" Naruto snapped, chopping her at the back of the neck, effectively knocking her out.

Gaara stirred and gave a groan as he felt the pain shoot through his shoulder again. He raised his head and saw Sasuke and Naruto standing before him. His pain suddenly vanished and was replaced with bloodlust. A wicked grin spread across his face and he began to laugh hysterically.

"Gaara, how are you feeling?" Kankuro asked as he slowly loosened his grip on him.

"I'm feeling excited… I can now spill the blood mother craves for!" Gaara yelled, knocked Kankuro off of his feet with a backfist into his chest.

Gaara began to tremble and sand began to form on the left side of his face and his left shoulder. The Konoha genin watched Gaara until the sand stopped forming and he looked up. Their eyes widened in shock at the sight. Half of Gaara's face was normal, but the other half was formed into that of a creature. The yellow diamond like eye glowed brightly and killing intent washed over all of the genin.

_"Wh-What is this guy?" _Shino thought as he felt sweat trickle down his face.

_"That must be the demon that resides inside Gaara. But he must not be fully awakened yet."_ Naruto thought as he watched Gaara grinning with anticipation.

**"Come and fight, Uzumaki Naruto!"** Gaara yelled.

Naruto was about to open his mouth to reply, but stopped when hearing a chirping noise. He turned to his right and saw Sasuke holding his wrist which was crackling with electricity.

"What's that?" Naruto asked himself.

"Try this!" Sasuke roared as he soared towards Gaara, bringing back his fist.

"Sasuke, no!" Naruto yelled.

Just as Sasuke was halfway towards Gaara, he felt something slam into his stomach. His eyes widened in shock and he keeled over before vomiting up some blood. He saw his jutsu dispel from being interrupted by the sneak attack. He lifted his head up with difficulty and saw Ryuzaki standing in front of him.

"This is for your own good, Uchiha." Ryuzaki said glaring at him.

Sasuke felt his vision darkening and he lost consciousness. Ryuzaki slung him over his shoulder and turned towards Naruto. Naruto gave a nod in thanks and Ryuzaki shunshined over to Sakura.

"Thanks for that." Naruto nodded.

"No problem. Now you'd better deal with this guy quickly, Naruto. There are still a lot of enemy forces in the village that need to be dealt with," Ryuzaki replied after using a clone to pick up Sakura.

"Alright, I'll try to mop up here as fast as possible."

Ryuzaki nodded and vanished with Sasuke and Sakura.

Naruto turned back to Gaara and pulled out his blade again. He knew he would have to be extra cautious now since Gaara was a lot stronger with the demon taking over him slowly. He noticed Kankuro pulling out his puppet from its bandages glaring at him.

"Naruto, I'll deal with Kankuro. I'm still disappointed my match was called in my favor because of this coward." Shino said.

Naruto wasn't sure, but he could swear Shino was smirking under his trench coat. He gave a nod at Shino with a small grin.

"He's all yours, Shino." Naruto replied.

"Excellent."

Shino leapt from his perch on the branch and soared towards Kankuro. Kankuro sent a glance at Shino and growled as he saw him land by his side. Shino sent a punch at Kankuro but he narrowly dodged the attack. He pulled on Karasu's strings and his puppet's arm swiped at Shion.

"Hmm, you seem more confident now. Why is that? Is it because you don't have to worry about losing in front of everyone at the arena?" Shino taunted.

"Shut-up, you freak!" Kankuro retorted.

Kankuro pulled on some more strings and Karasu's mouth opened wide. Poisoned senbon flew towards Shino who stood there calmly. He slowly gathered his chakra and grinned inwardly. It was time to show what he was capable of. There was a crackle as Shino's chakra suddenly burst to life and he swung his arm. A long whip of bugs covered with lightning knocked the senbon needles away.

"**Raiton: Kikai Whip**, success." Shino muttered.

* * *

Naruto watched with some surprise as he saw Shino deflect the senbon by combining his lightning affinity with his bloodline. He nodded in acknowledgement of a clever and interesting discovery.

**"Never let your guard down, Uzumaki!"** Gaara whispered in his ear.

Naruto's eyes widened in horror as he turned to see Gaara standing by him. Not having enough time to dodge, he brought his blade up to block the viscious punch. The force of the punch was so strong in sent Naruto straight through a tree, causing him to slam into the next one. He fell to his knees and hacked up some blood.

_"Shit, even though I blocked the strike itself, it's still strong enough to toss me around like a rag doll!"_ Naruto thought.

**"Is this all you've got, Uzumaki Naruto? Where's that power I sensed you using during my sister's match?"** Gaara asked, speeding towards him.

Naruto ducked under Gaara and drove his foot directly into his stomach. Gaara was sent airborne from the blow. Naruto summoned three clones and surrounded Gaara. One clone kicked Gaara across the face towards the other clone. The next clone gave an uppercut into Gaara's chin sending him towards the treetops. Gaara opened his eyes to see Naruto bringing his blade back and slamming the pommel of it into his face.

Gaara was sent spiraling to the ground, but was halted when Naruto grabbed both of his ankles. Naruto twirled him around and tossed him at some trees. There was a thunderous crash as Gaara went straight through one tree and fell through multiple branches below. Finally, the last clone exploded from under the branch Gaara landed on. Gaara flew upwards and was met with a fist to the face. He slammed into a tree trunk and fell on all fours.

Naruto huffed a little bit from the quick series of attacks he gave but regained composure. He crossed his arms and waited for Gaara to stand up. Chuckles began to fill the area as Gaara slowly stood up. More sand began to form on Gaara's body, this time creating a tail.

**"HAHAHA! Yes! This is what I've been waiting for!"** Gaara cheered before vanishing.

"Crap, he's gone again!" Naruto muttered.

**"Show me that power, Uzumaki!"** Gaara yelled, wrapping his tail around Naruto.

He hoisted Naruto off the ground and began to crush him in the sand while swinging him around. Naruto gave a cry in pain as his body was being compressed by the thick sand. Gaara brought his arm back and sent Naruto spiraling to the ground. Naruto landed on the ground creating a thick cloud of smoke along with a huge crater. He erupted into a violent coughing fit as he struggled to stand up. He was pretty sure that last attack cracked some of his ribs, bruised him and possibly gave him some internal bleeding. His answer came when he hacked out a glob of blood.

_"This is getting ridiculous!"_ Naruto thought, standing up gingerly.

Naruto pulled out some shuriken and kunai. He wrapped some explosive tags around the kunai and attached them to his belt. Naruto sent all his shuriken at Gaara to try and find a weak spot in his defenses. Gaara lazily brought his arm up and blocked the shuriken as they embedded themselves in the sand. That's when Naruto noticed two things. The first thing he saw was his shuriken being absorbed into Gaara's sand arm. The second thing was Gaara seemed to be guarding his tale by putting himself up against a tree.

"Bingo," Naruto said, pulling out his exploding kunai knives.

He soared towards Gaara bringing back his sword. Naruto gave four quick swings send four **Death Coils** at Gaara. Gaara gave an annoyed grunt and swatted two the the green flaming balls away but blocked the last two with his arm. Naruto smirked since he now prevented Gaara from seeing his next move. He tossed the kunai into Gaara's arm and shunshined behind him raising his sword.

Naruto channeled the rest of his runic power and brought down his blade for an **Obliterate**. Gaara's tail exploded in a cloud of dirt and rock. He gave a howl in pain and punched Naruto across the face. Naruto went into a flip and quickly channeled chakra to his feet to stick to the tree trunk.

_"Kaboom!"_ Naruto thought.

There was a loud bang as Gaara's arm suddenly exploded after absorbing the exploding kunai. He gave a cry of rage and pain as the sand pooled around his feet. Naruto used his chance and drove his fist across Gaara's face. Gaara plummeted to the ground and made a thunderous crash as he hit the ground. A massive crater formed as Gaara hit the ground and made a giant cloud of dust and dirt. Naruto felt killing intent fill the area once again, except this time it was much stronger and more sinister.

_"Here he comes."_ Naruto thought.

**"There's no way… There's no way I'm losing to you, Uzumaki! Your blood is going to satisfy mother! Now it's time to end this!"** Gaara roared.

Gaara blazed through hand signs and rested on the last one grinning madly. He gave a chuckle and was enshrouded with smoke. There was a loud crack as a silhouette appeared in the smoke, towering over the forest trees. Naruto looked upward and rested his hand on his blade. Two yellow eyes began to glow from the smoke and darted around wildly.

"Now we're in business." Naruto said, jumping up to the treetops.

**"HAHAHA! Finally, after thirteen years I'm free! YAHOO baby, I'm free!"** Shukaku bellowed to the sky.

* * *

**Well, that's the chapter guys, I hope it wasn't a disappointment. Again read and review as always, it makes me happy to what the readers think of the chapter and story. Now on to the announcements. The first thing I wanted to address was the wait period until the next chapter. From here up through Thanksgiving, my academics are going to make me its personal bitch so I won't be updating possibly until little after Thanksgiving or early December. Second thing is the poll on my profile page. I will leave it up until my next update for this story, so if you haven't voted, do so now. The third thing I wanted to know was if anyone knew of a possible sight that can translate something into Japanese, because I want to be able to put the Jutsu I created in Japanese to make it more legit so it will blend in with the Naruto universe. That's all I really had to say, thanks for being patient about this guys and I hope to see you next time. Enjoy your Thanksgiving if I don't post by then!-CaptainPrice**

**Personal thought: Has anyone wondered why when a story is made people favorite it and put it on there alerts? Then when the lists get large only around 10-15 people normally leave a review out of 345 favorites and alerts. I wonder if that's made sense to anyone? Ah well, just my thought on that.**

**Jutsu:**

**Raiton: Kikai Whip (Own Creation)- Shino uses his lightning affinity (Learned what it was during the wave arc) and covers his Kikai bugs with it. He is able to use it as a weapon from all ranges (close, medium, long) levels of power differ depending on the amount of chakra he uses for his lightning.**

**Raiton: Lightning Surge (Own Creation)- A medium powered burst of lightning that is used as a shockwave to stun and possibly paralyze an enemy depending on the amount of chakra used. Ryuzaki uses his chakra by channeling it to his blade and stabbing it into the ground to release it. **


	20. Naruto vs Gaara Finale

**Yo, guys I'm back with an update for 'Shinobi of the Ebon Blade'! Now I know this is very late but I got sidetracked with things that took priority over the story. Real life comes first before my stories so I'm sorry if I pissed a lot of you off with the long wait, but I hope this 31 page chapter is enough, this is the longest chapter I wrote to date with this story. Now I hope you enjoy the chapter, read and review as alway please, I'd greatly appreciate it. Please read the stuff at the end of the chapter and humor me, it'll help you understand if you're confused about somethings in this chapter. I marked two little points in the story with (1) and (2), you'll see what they are if you read the stuff after the chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Naruto or WoW. I DO own the OCs, the story, and the idea of the story itself.**

**Summary: Naruto's battle with Gaara continues after it started last chapter with both of them taking a beating. And Gaz takes the role of a leader in order to help clear the village with his comrades but soon learns of the responsibility of leading and sacrifices. Not only that there is also a terrifying power that dwells inside one of the Genin in the group. **

**New opening/Ending for Shinobi of the Ebon Blade**

**Opening- Human's Being/ by Van Halen**

**Ending- Awake and Alive/ by Skillet **

**Legend:**

**Bold-Kyuubi/Shukaku/Death Knight Abilities/Bloodreaper/Jutsu**

_**Italics- Thoughts/Letters/Flashbacks/Kyuubi, Shukaku, Bloodreaper thinking**_

_**Bold Italics- Radio communications**_

_**

* * *

**_Naruto found himself leaping to the top of the tree canopies towards Shukaku. He burst through the top of the trees and he was greeted with the colossal demon in front of him. Shukaku's eyes fell upon Naruto and a wicked grin spread across his face. He brought back his arm and launched a punch a Naruto. Naruto cursed as he realized he would have to dodge at just the right time or else he would be crushed. Shukaku's fist neared and just as it was going to crush the trees, Naruto jumped into the air.

Shukaku's fist hit the ground with tremendous power, shaking everything in the area. Fortunately for Naruto the attack created cloud of dirt and dust concealing him as he landed on Shukaku's arm. He took the chance and dashed up the arm, blade at the ready. Naruto managed to see Shukaku's other arm out of the corner of his eye as it came at him. He made his trademark handsign. **Five Kage-Bunshins** appeared around him and grabbed his arm. They hurled Naruto over to Shukaku's other arm as it was in range, thus saving him from being crushed.

**"Stand still, I want to crush you!"** Shukaku yelled.

Naruto continued his run up Shukaku's arm towards his head. He was not sure where Shukaku's defense was at its lowest, so it was time to start somewhere. The runic power in his body had reached its max capacity and was waiting to be unleashed. Suddenly, Shukaku's arm began to ripple and rock spikes began to shoot out of the arm at Naruto as he neared the top. Thinking quickly, Naruto held his palm out freezing each spike as they came at him. He cast **Icy Touch** again before sending a **Death Coil** at Shukaku's head. The flaming green skull hit Shukaku directly in the eye. Shukaku roared in rage and turned his head to face Naruto. He sucked in a breath and waited for the right time.

After reaching Shukaku's shoulder, Naruto leapt into the air and soared toward Shukaku's face. It was here he learned he had made a grave mistake.

**"Fuuton: Renkuudan!"** Shukaku bellowed.

The blast of wind hit Naruto with intense force, knocking the wind out of him. He was sent to the forest floor from the attack and kicked up a trail of dirt as he rolled across the ground. His body came to a stop after his back was slammed into a tree trunk. He fell to the ground and began coughing violently as blood sprayed the ground.

**"Hang in there, Naruto. I'm patching you up quick!"** Kyuubi told him.

_"I don't think this is going to work if I keep approaching him like I just did."_ Naruto thought back.

**"I have an idea, but we'll only have one shot at this. You willing to hear it?"**

_"At this point I'll take any suggestions that you give me. I'm not the most knowledgeable person when it comes to fighting demons."_

**"Alright, listen closely."**

* * *

Meanwhile back at the stadium, Hiruzen found himself fighting alongside Darion against his former student, Orochimaru. Their battle had been going on for almost half an hour and showed no sign of ending any time soon. Orichimaru had used **Edo Tensei **and brought back the Shodaime and Nidaime Hokages. The both of them now mere shells of their former selves, showing no life in their eyes and were completely void of emotion. Hiruzen felt nothing but rage towards Orochimaru after he revived his predecessors to use as his puppets. On top of that, no matter what Hiruzen tried, he couldn't kill either of them. The two of them would regenerate themselves after obtaining severe damage.

"As you can see Sarutobi-Sensei, you cannot win this fight. I'm sure you've realized this technique I used can't be disrupted." Orochimaru said with his wicked grin.

"Orochimaru, I now realize my foolishness for not ending your life on that day all those years ago." Hiruzen sneered.

"And now you are paying for your mistake by going against the jutsu I stole that day. You have no one to blame but yourself, Sarutobi-Sensei."

"Do you have any ideas?" Sarutobi whispered to Darion.

"I have one, but I need an opening." Darion replied.

"What's the plan?"

"We need to dispose of those two Hokages first. So what I need you to do is distract them and when I get the right opening I'll use a technique of my own."

Hiruzen nodded after hearing Darion's idea. He was not sure of what would Darion was going to do, but he decided to comply. He lifted his battle staff again and jumped toward his predecessors bringing it back. The staff smashed into the roof making the former Hokages jump away. Hiruzen used this to his advantage and leapt towards them again. He blazed through hand signs and inhaled deeply. He released the **Karyuu Endan** sending dragon flame bullets at them. The Nidaime countered back with **Baku Suishouha** sending waves at water towards Hiruzen. The attacks met and exploded on impact creating a misty terrain.

Darion currently had his blades crossed and was channeling his power into them. The technique he was about to unleash was one he created while he was in Icecrown. Its power was so strong that when it was used, it would be a double edge sword. The user would lose a lot of energy and if it is used too much, it could kill them. While he didn't die from using it numerous times, he almost died of exhaustion from using it over two times. If he was to do this now, he had only two attempts. His eyes snapped open and his neon wisps began to glow brighter than ever.

"With the power of the necromancer, I will end your suffering…" Darion whispered.

He vanished from sight at speeds that could rival Gai's. Darion managed to locate both Hokages jumping at Hiruzen after he erected an earth wall to protect himself from an attack from the Shodaime. He crossed his arms and upon reaching the two Hokages swung his blades which were now glowing black.

**"Reaper's Strike!"** Darion hollered.

He rolled across the rooftop and looked back at the two Hokages. Both of them stopped in their tracks and a brief look of shock spread across their faces. Two slices appeared on the former Hokages chests. They both were turning pale and oddly enough, they smiled sadly.

"Well, it looks like this is where our battle ends, Hiruzen," the Shodaime said, turning to him.

"Indeed, it seems our time is up." The Nidaime agreed.

Two grey silhouettes exited the wounds Darion created moments ago before soaring over to Darion's blades. The souls vanished into Darion's blades making them glow dark blue momentarily. And with that, the elder Hokage's fell to the ground and began to dissolve into sand. Two figures lay under the sand which Hiruzen recognized as the Oto Genin from the exams.

"You used your own shinobi for this? You truly are a monster, Orochimaru. That is why I never gave you the title of Hokage." Hiruzen spat.

"How is it possible? That jutsu can't be stopped unless I stop it! What did you do, boy?" Orochimaru demanded glaring at Darion.

"Does it matter? Besides, only I can use this technique and it will be a cold day in hell before I tell you how it works!" Darion retorted.

Orichimaru scowled but it reverted to its original cocky smirk. While that technique was certainly interesting since it completely stopped the **Edo Tensei** which should have been impossible, he decided it wasn't worth it. No one else knew that jutsu besides him since it was forbidden so it would be unlikely to face anybody that knew it in general.

"Do you two actually believe you can defeat me?" Orochimaru asked glaring at them.

"Either way, I'm not going to stop until I'm dead!" Hiruzen replied.

"Kukuku, well then, I'll just have to kill you quickly!"

Orochimaru's mouth opened wide and the Kusangi shot into the air. He caught it before jumping at Hiruzen and Darion. Darion and Hiruzen jumped at Orochimaru, ready to end the fight.

* * *

Currently with the strike force teams of Genin and Jounin, the fight was getting more bloody and exhausting. Both groups have been clearing their sections slowly but with success. The only problem was the endless waves of enemies that kept on coming. Gaz and Mac were doing a back to back clear. Gaz was facing front while Mac was watching their rear for any surprise attacks. They continued going up one of the roads in the market district. There was a loud boom as a shop directly to their left exploded sending them to the ground. The road was now filled with smoke and ash concealing the pair of them as well as their enemies.

"Mac, are you okay?" Gaz called.

"I got cut across my arm but yeah, I'm fine." Mac replied.

Gaz stood up gingerly, his ears still ringing from the explosion. He swayed a little bit trying to regain his sense. Mac stood up and noticed a shadow behind Gaz.

"Zano, duck!" Mac barked, throwing a kunai.

Gaz ducked just in time narrowly avoiding a slash that would have cut his throat open. There was a squelch as the kunai embedded itself in the head of an Oto shinobi. Mac hustled over to him to see if he was alright.

"You okay?" Mac asked.

"Yeah, thanks for saving me there." Gaz replied.

"No problem, but now we have a bit of a problem here."

"How so?"

Mac pointed directly ahead of them to a small grocery store. Gaz sighed a little bit knowing that they would have to clear the building before they could confirm their area secure. He turned to Mac and nodded in confirmation. The two of them hurried over to the store and stacked up outside the door, Mac on one side, Gaz on the other.

"Do it!" Mac muttered.

Gaz faced the door and thrust his foot forward. The door burst off its hinges and landed on the floor making an echo around the store. Gaz slowly entered followed by Mac who decided to duel wield at this time. Mac looked at Gaz before pointing down the left flank. Gaz nodded before summoning his blades to head down his side. Mac took the right flank down the frozen food section. He tread lightly, his boots barely making any sound as he walked down the dark aisle. The darkness of the store put Mac on edge since he couldn't see anything. Mac heard his radio earpiece crack.

_**"Mac, have you seen or heard anything yet?"**_ Gaz asked over the mic.

_**"Negative, I'm nearing the back room now. I'll meet you back there."**_ Mac replied.

_**"Roger that."**_

Gaz lifted his finger off his earpiece and held his blades at the ready as he hugged the wall. There was a creak as a door in front of him opened and a figure stepped out. Gaz squinted and could see that it was a Suna nin in front of him after getting a glimpse of his headband when he lit a cigarette. Thankfully, he didn't seem to notice his presence. He slowly crept up behind the shinobi pulling out his knife. When he was in range, he sprang forward and covered the shinobi's mouth with one hand before slitting his throat. The body fell to the bound with a thud and Gaz continued to the back room.

Gaz finally reached the back room and slowly pushed the door open. He glanced around the room but he didn't see Mac in sight. Thinking he must have gone outside he continued to the back door and exited the store. Just as he did that, someone burst through the back wall of the store. Gaz was immediately on guard but lowered it when he realized it was Mac.

"What happened to you?" Gaz asked.

"I got my ass kicked." Mac replied.

"By who?"

The wall burst open again, revealing a tall bulky Oto shinobi. Gaz's eyes widened briefly at the height of the shinobi in front of him. The guy was a freaking giant, about the size of an ogre. The shinobi grabbed Mac by the neck and began to strangle him with one hand. Gaz charged at the shinobi and slashed at him. However, the giant used his free hand and grabbed Gaz's blade, stopping it completely. He threw his arm up sending Gaz airborne before throwing Mac at him. Mac collided with Gaz's stomach and they crashed in a heap on the ground.

"What is this guy?" Gaz asked.

"He's like one of those Vrykul berserkers from Icecrown." Mac said, standing up.

The juggernaut like shinobi bent down and charged head first at them. The death knights jumped away and watched as he obliterated an empty stall. The brute strength alone would probably kill them should they get hit by it. The shinobi turned around and charged at Gaz. This time, Gaz was ready for him and he brought back both of his swords. He stabbed forward with both of them only for them to be halted in their tracks. The giant made Gaz drop his blades as it picked him up by his neck with one hand. Gaz was trying to put pressure on the shinobi's wrist to make it release him but had no success. He did the next best thing and drove his foot directly into the crotch of the shinobi. The giant just blinked at Gaz before continuing to strangle him.

"What the fuck?" Gaz choked.

**"Heart Strike!"** Mac hollered, slashing his blade at the giant's chest only for it to be blocked by the giant's arm.

The shinobi dropped Gaz and swung at Mac but he ducked avoiding the attack. He followed up with three more **Heart Strikes** forcing the giant back. Gaz, regaining his breath, picked up his blades and swung both of them. Two **Death Coils** shot at the giant, both of them hit the giant in the side. The giant shinobi staggered to the side but was cut down by Mac after he slashed his blades across its neck. The shinobi gave a growl before falling forward and gargling on blood.

"I think it's safe to say he's dead?" Gaz inquired.

"Oh yeah, he's done." Mac nodded.

Gaz shook his head pulled a smoke flare from his belt pulled the bottom of the tube off. He tossed it to the center of the clearing and watched as the green smoke rose high above the buildings. Mac finished cleaning his blades before walking over to Gaz.

_/Flashback/_

_Gaz was just about to send the other genin away with the order, but stopped them all. He reached into his belt and pulled out radio pieces as well as some smoke flares. He gave each group a flare and two radio earpieces._

_"Alright, everyone knows their group and their targets?" Mac inquired._

_He received a nod from all of them and he nodded back._

_"What's this?" Tenten asked, indicating the smoke flare._

_"It's a smoke flare, they're used to mark locations for various things like attack points, evacuation points and all that. I'm giving these to all of you so you can mark your area when you completely cleared it. All you need to do is pull the bottom of the tube off and drop it on the ground. Smoke will rise above the buildings and we should be able to see it. Just get to the rooftops to see if anyone else has planted theirs. If not, go and see if they could use some help," Gaz replied, looking at the group in front of him._

_"Sounds like a plan." Hinata nodded._

_"Okay, let's move out," Mac said standing up._

_With that the genin took off for their respected areas._

_/Flashback End/_

Mac and Gaz jumped to the rooftops overlooking the lower residence of Konoha since they took the high ground to the north. They scanned the area in search for green smoke from their comrades, hoping to see that they were alright and everything was going as planned. The pair of them squatted down and began to wait.

"What do you think?" Mac asked.

"Let's give them three minutes. We didn't have many enemies to deal with so we may be further ahead." Gaz replied.

"Good idea."

Just as Mac said that, they saw green smoke rising from the south where Tenten and Kiba were. Gaz pushed the button on his radio to communicate with Tenten.

_**"Tenten, this is Zano. Have you and Kiba successfully cleared the area?"**_ Gaz asked.

_**"Yes we have, although we got a little banged up."**_ Tenten replied.

_**"Okay, head back to the stadium and get patched up. There should be some ANBU there right now securing the checkpoint. Mac and I will go and give Ino and Choji a hand." **_

_**"Roger that, we'll meet you back there."**_

Gaz looked at Mac and nodded to the west to where Ino and Choji were. They decided to give them a hand since Choji and Ino, while they were decent shinobi, were not exactly the strongest either.

"Let's go," Mac said, jumping to the next roof.

* * *

Neji and Hinata were back to back and surrounded by ten Oto and Suna shinobi. Both of them had their Byakugan activated and scanning their surroundings. They both made it to the final area of their patrol and were about to signal it all clear but were ambushed by this lot.

"Neji, we should stay close by and give each other assistance in case we get overwhelmed." Hinata suggested.

"I know what I'm doing, you worry about yourself and I'll worry about me!" Neji hissed back.

Hinata shook her head at Neji's bitterness. Obviously he was still very sore about tying with her in the preliminaries a month ago. She put that aside to focus on the situation before her. Taking a deep breath, she sunk into her Jyuuken stance. Neji had done the same and leapt and charged at his first opponent.

Hinata beckoned one of the shinobi in front of her to attack and got her wish. One Suna shinobi jumped at Hinata with a katana. She waited and swerved away from a slash. He slashed again only for his attack to be parried. Hinata brought her fist back and delivered a powerful right hook across the Suna shinobi's face. He was launched off his feet and bounced across the ground. He came to a stop and blood trickled out of his ear.

"Who's next?" Hinata asked.

Neji had seen Hinata dispose of her first attacker with ease and growled in anger. He just couldn't understand how a person with Hinata's gentle personality could be a good kunoichi. He was brought out of his thoughts as two Oto shinobi jumped at him.

"Kaiten!" Neji hollered.

The rotating dome of chakra covered Neji as he spun around and effectively blasted the two shinobi back. One hit an empty stall, the other was sent through a glass window of a shop. He blocked an attack from a Suna shinobi and gave a roundhouse kick to his side. It connected with the Suna shinobi's stomach, crushing his spleen. The Suna shinobi coughed up a gob of blood before getting hit in the chest with Neji's gentle fist, ending his life.

Hinata back-flipped away from an attack, narrowly avoiding it. The Oto shinobi jumped at her and sent a punch at her. She blocked the punch by pushing it upward with her forearm. She followed up with a Jyuuken knee strike to his stomach, and then finished with a jaw crushing uppercut breaking his jaw. She saw her last opponent come at her from her left bringing a kunai down on her. Hinata brought her arm up under his armpit and swiftly pulled up making the arm break. She spun around, elbowed him in the back while pulling his kunai away from him. He fell to the ground and Hinata stabbed the kunai in the back of his neck. **(1)**

Neji hit another Suna shinobi with his gentle fist and jumped at him.

"You're in my range of divination." Neji said.

Neji jabbed each of the Suna shinobi's tenketsu points, sealing his chakra off with each strike. After the last strike, the shinobi fell over completely disabled from moving. Neji was about to finish him off but was tackled to the ground by an Oto shinobi. The Oto shinobi brought a knife down to stab Neji's chest but was stopped as Neji grabbed both his hands with his own. The pair of them struggled against each other and Neji found himself losing. He was losing strength and now the knife was just an inch away from his chest.

"This is the end for you, Hyuuga!" the Oto shinobi snarled.

Neji closed his eyes as he awaited his fate.

"_Is this what my fate was, to die like this? No, I don't want to die, I don't want to die!"_ Neji thought as he felt his being fill with fear.

Something splashed on his face and he slowly opened his eyes. They widened considerably when he saw a shuriken embedded in the Oto shinobi's skull. He looked over and saw Hinata lying on her side with her arm stretched out. Neji pushed the dead shinobi off him and crawled away from the corpse. He looked back at Hinata and saw her getting to her feet. She pulled out the smoke flare and walked over to him. She held out her hand and he looked at it for a moment before looking back up at her.

"Neji, get up. We need to get back to the stadium and help secure the checkpoint." Hinata said.

Neji blinked and took his cousin's hand and she pulled his feet. He looked back at the dead shinobi a few feet away from him as blood pooled around his head. If it wasn't for Hinata, he would be the one bleeding out on the ground. Hinata pulled the bottom of the tube for the smoke flare with a click and tossed it a couple feet away and watched as the green smoke rose above the buildings.

_**"Gaz, it's Hinata. Neji and I have successfully cleared our area and are currently heading back to the stadium,"**_ Hinata reported into her radio.

_**"Nice job, we can see the smoke from where we are. We'll meet you both back there later."**_ Gaz replied.

_**"Roger that, we'll meet you back at the checkpoint. Out."**_

"Neji, let's get back to the rendezvous point," Hinata said, shaking his shoulder gently.

"Yeah." Neji replied.

He was confused as to why Hinata saved his life after all the things he said to her and the Main Branch family. But he knew he was going to thank her for saving his life today.

* * *

Grimes stabbed his blade into the back of an Oto shinobi and put a cigarette in his mouth. Many groans of pain surrounded him from all the enemies he had maimed while clearing his area. He pulled out his lighter and clicked it open revealing the orange and blue flame. After lighting his death stick he pulled his blade out of the now dead shinobi and pulled out his smoke flare. He pulled the tube and tossed the flare a few feet away from him before walking away as the smoke rose into the air. With his section clear, he jumped to the rooftops to get a better vantage point of the village. He saw many areas with green smoke ascending towards the sky and grinned knowing his students had successfully managed to get the other genin to help secure parts of the village.

His mind drifted back to Naruto and how his pursuit for Sasuke was going. He was positive Naruto would catch up with Sasuke and stop him, but he was worried about the situation between him and Gaara. If Sasuke had caught up with Gaara and Naruto came shortly after, it could spell disaster for his little brother. He was brought back to reality as an explosion came from the direction where Kurenai was. While he believed Kurenai could handle herself, he decided to go and check up on her to see if she needed assistance.

Kurenai opened her eyes and found herself looking at the sky. She coughed as smoke filled her nose and noticed she was not alone. There were currently four shinobi towering over her and there was no escape route. She slowly backed up against the wall to put some distance between herself and the leering enemies.

"What should we do with her?" asked one.

"We kill her you baka, the less shinobi Konoha has the better off we'll be!" retorted another.

"I agree, but that doesn't mean we can't have some fun, right boys?" said a tall Oto shinobi.

"Good point, besides, it's not like she has any backup nearby." Said the last.

"I don't think she looks presentable enough, what do you think boys?" said the tall one.

"You're right, Gin. Let's give her a hand."

The first pulled out a senbon which was coated with a paralytic poison and threw it at Kurenai. Kurenai moved to the right, but she was not fast enough. The senbon hit her in her left arm and made her fall to the ground motionless. She began to curse over and over again in her head as fear began to build inside her. The tallest one, now dubbed Gin, made his way over to her with a kunai. He placed the tip on the top of Kurenai's dress bindings before bringing it down in a swift motion. There was a rip as the bindings tore between her breasts down to her stomach. Kurenai was glad she decided to wear a bra today otherwise there was no other way of concealing herself.

"We definitely got a beauty right here!" Gin grinned.

"Hurry up, Gin! We want some fun too!" said another.

Gin had his pants unbuckled and was hovering over Kurenai. Kurenai closed her eyes and felt tears well up inside them at what was about to happen. Gin was about to push in but stopped when he heard a metal clang hit the ground behind him. He turned to see a kunai with a white piece of paper wrapped around the hilt laying there. Kurenai noticed it as well and closed her eyes just in time. The kunai exploded in a blinding flash of white light and a loud bang. Kurenai's ears were ringing loudly and she could barely hear the audible cries of confusion from her captors.

"What the hell was that?" shouted one.

"I don't know, but I can't see anything!" cried another.

Kurenai opened her eyes and saw her captors covering their eyes in pain. She noticed a silhouette enter the alley slowly. Kurenai saw the man bring his arm back and throw a shuriken. It sunk into Gin's head and he fell to the ground as blood pooled around his head. The man continued his silent kills as he moved on to the next enemy and snapped his neck. He unceremoniously dropped the body and crept to the next shinobi. The man covered the other shinobi's mouth, pulled out a knife and slit his throat. Finally he neared the last shinobi as he finally regained his senses. The shinobi looked around in shock only for his eyes to widen as the man's knife plunged into the side of his neck. The last shinobi slumped into a fetal position covering his wound but it was pointless as blood continued to squirt out as he gagged and coughed.

The man swung his knife and to free it of any dripping blood before sheathing it. He hurried over to Kurenai to check up on her. Kurenai looked up and finally recognized her savior to be Grimes.

"Kurenai, are you okay, did they manage to, you know?" Grimes asked.

"No, you got here just before they did." Kurenai replied.

"Can you walk?"

"No, they hit me with a paralytic poison."

Grimes nodded and realized Kurenai's state of dress. His face reddened slightly, but he immediately felt ashamed for thinking about that. Kurenai as almost raped and he found himself ogling her. He pulled off his vest and his fleece shirt before giving it to Kurenai. He put his vest back on and helped put the fleece on Kurenai with some difficulty with her paralysis. Grimes picked Kurenai up bridal style and exited the alley. He fumbled in his vest pocket for another flare and lit it before dropping it on the ground.

"Let's get back to the stadium," Grimes said, beginning to run.

"Yeah," Kurenai replied, resting her head on Grimes shoulder.

* * *

Zara was currently ascending to the upper city district where civilians dwelled. Her blade was stained crimson with blood and it dripped with each step she took. Her hand drifted to her belt and rested on the flare. She was almost near her objective but she felt uneasy. It had been almost five minutes since she last encountered any shinobi and that alone put her on guard. Zara came to a stop in the square and looked around the other streets. Occasionally she would hear a loud explosion from a paper bomb or the cries of a dying shinobi. Just as she was about to toss her flare she heard voices coming from a small side alley to her left.

Zara quietly entered the alley and heard the sobbing of children nearby. She quickened her pace and rounded the corner to see four enemy shinobi hovering over some kids. One currently had a firm grip on a little girl's hair. Zara felt a scowl spread across her face at the sight before her. If it was one thing she hated, it was seeing children in pain. She pursed her lips and gave a sharp whistle to gain their attention. The four shinobi wheeled around and leered at Zara.

"Let the kids go. Your fight is with me," Zara stated, glaring at them.

"Well look what we have here, a fine looking woman all alone against us." Spoke one.

"I say we teach her a lesson, and then have some fun with her." Said another.

Zara cocked an eyebrow in amusement at what her enemies were thinking and shook her head. She slowly pulled her blade out and twirled it in her hand.

"Hey boys," Zara spoke, glaring at them.

"What?" they replied.

"Is that any way treat a lady?"

Her answer came when one of the Suna ninja in the group leapt at her. Zara eyed his movements carefully and waited until he was just in range of her blade. She pulled it back and blocked the punch that was to hit her face. Zara grabbed the fist and twirled the Suna shinobi around in an arm-bar breaking his arm. She then stabbed her sword straight through the shinobi's back, splattering blood all over the ground. Removing her sword she smirked at the three jaw dropped shinobi in front of her. Zara swung her blade sending blood droplets to the ground and started to run at the other shinobi. The three charged Zara at once hoping to have the advantage. The first slashed at her with a kunai but she dodged it and kicked upward with her plated boot. There was a crack as the man's hand broke and he screamed in pain. Zara ducked under the second shinobi as he jumped at her from above. She then stabbed upward with her blade, impaling the shinobi. Using her momentum she heaved him over her shoulder and slammed him into the ground.

The third shinobi jumped at her with a kunai but it was parried when Zara brought her blade up. The shinobi growled in anger and swiped with his kunai again. This time Zara caught it in her hand and crushed it after turning it to ice with her runic power. Using the shinobi's distraction to her advantage she plunged her blade forward and stabbed the shinobi through his chest. She removed her blade and cleaned the blood off before walking over to the kids in front of her. The kids huddled together and backed against the wall trying to flee from her.

"Stay away from us!" one stated.

"Don't hurt us!" shouted another.

"I'm not going to hurt you, I just want to take you to the safety area," Zara said putting her blade away as she walked towards the kids.

"How can we trust you?" the girl asked.

Zara looked the girl in the eyes making her tremble. She let a comforting smile spread across her face before kneeling down and resting her blade on the ground in front of her. She stood up and held her arms out showing she had no weapons on her that they can see. However she did have a concealed combat knife in her boot, but she decided to keep that fact from the kids so they would let her help them. Zara walked over to the kids and knelt down by them.

"I'm not here to harm you. I'm here to help you." Zara said.

The little girl was hesitant but eventually inched closer to Zara and hugged her. Zara felt the girl's body shake with sobs and rubbed her back to calm her. The girl stopped sobbing but gasped at something making Zara realize what caused it. Quick as a flash, Zara's hand took out the concealed knife and launched it at breakneck speeds behind her. There was a crunch as the knife entered the shinobi's head killing him instantly. This made the kids terrified at first but they calmed down when she gave them a smile.

"Do you know where the shelter is for the civilians at this time?" Zara asked.

"We got separated from our classmates after we left the academy, but they were heading to a bunker somewhere on the Hokage Summit." The girl replied.

Zara nodded and walked over to the corpse to pull the knife out. Once she did she walked back over to the kids and gave them each a kunai from the fallen shinobi.

"I need to know what you plan to do with these if we run into trouble, so tell me now." Zara informed.

"We'll use them to defend each other and ourselves, even if it means to take a life." The boy replied.

"Good, that's the answer I was hoping to hear." Zara replied.

She stood up and had the kids stick close to her in a three sixty formation. Zara pulled out the flare she had and ignited it before dropping it to the ground. The green smoke rose above the buildings and towards the sky. With her objective done she proceeded to take the kids to the bunker they told her about.

* * *

Naruto followed Kyuubi's precise instructions and hid behind some trees to perform the required handsigns. He pressed his hands to the ground and there was a loud boom as smoke filled the area. Gamabunta appeared form the smoke and Naruto landed on top of his head gaining his attention.

"Brat, you better have a good explanation as to why you summoned me!" Gamabunta barked.

"Well I thought that the Shukaku in front of you was a good reason to summon you. I need your help to take him down." Naruto replied.

"What makes you think I'll help?"

"Tell you what. I'll be sure to have ten bottles of sake to share with you."

"Heh, I like the way you think, kid. Fine, I'll help you."

Naruto made a few kage bunshins and ordered them to spread out to attack Shukaku. Shukaku stood there analyzing Naruto's actions and smirked when he saw that more clones were coming his way. But he kept his eyes more focused on the giant toad that was summoned to the fray. He was forced to stop after the clones started to attack him from all sides. One by one each clone went up in a crack of smoke as they were dispersed from contact. As this happened it gave Naruto a chance to make his move.

"Boss, charge at Shukaku! I'll take it from there!" Naruto barked.

"Alright, gaki. Hang on tight!" Gamabunta replied.

Naruto sunk down and channeled chakra to his feet to maintain his balance on Gamabunta's head. Gamabunta crouched down as well and then shot forth with intense speed. As they neared Shukaku, it turned to face them and inhaled deeply, its cheeks puffing up. Gamabunta jumped into the air just in time to avoid a sand shuriken. Unfortunately, this caused Naruto to delay his attack. He cursed and narrowed his eyes and noticed something. Gaara slowly appeared on top of Shukaku's forehead.

"Gaki, do you see the kid on top of Shukaku's head?" Gamabunta asked.

"Yeah I do, I need to wake him up to stop Shukaku." Naruto replied.

"So what's your plan?"

"Just try and delay him, I've got an idea."

Naruto created a few kage bunshin once again and threw a smoke bomb down to conceal himself. He jumped down with some of his kage bunshin but left two up on Gamabunta's head. After huddling up around his clones he used the last of his chakra to transform. When the smoke from the transformation cleared it revealed another Gamabunta with Naruto standing on top of it.

"Boss, distract him and give me time to do this!" Naruto barked.

"Heh, sounds like a plan!" Gamabunta replied as he jumped at Shukaku.

_"Alright Kyuubi, I got the transformation up now tell me how to do this."_ Naruto thought.

_**"Alright, I'm going to fill you with my chakra again, when I finish, do the handsigns for rat, monkey, rat, dog, ox, boar, dog, and finish with rat. I'll take it from there, Naruto."**_** Kyuubi replied.**

Naruto mentally nodded at Kyuubi and waited for Gamabunta to turn Shukaku around for his distraction. As soon as Shukaku turned around Naruto felt Kyuubi's chakra course through him once again. He moved his hands with lightning fast speed and formed the rat handsign. Right when he finished, his body began to move on its own. Kyuubi was in temporary control to finish the jutsu. Naruto watched as his hand rested on top of his transformation of Gamabunta and he felt the chakra being transferred over to the transformation. Naruto jumped high into the air and felt he gained control again. His transformation began to grow and transform again, this time when the smoke cleared in was a giant nine tailed fox covered in dark purple chakra.

_"Kyuubi, is that you?"_ Naruto thought.

The fox turned around and gave him a grin before nodding. He lowered himself and motioned for Naruto to climb on. Naruto ran over and hopped onto Kyuubi's back and tried to locate Gamabunta and Shukaku. He saw them hundreds of yards away. Shukaku's back still turned away from him and Kyuubi. Kyuubi sunk down and got ready to dash forward at Shukaku.

**"Naruto, get ready. When I hit Shukaku with this attack it should leave you a clear shot to hit Gaara." **Kyuubi informed.

"Alright, let's go!" Naruto yelled.

Kyuubi stood up and began to leap at Shukaku picking up speed with each second. Naruto saw Gamabunta looking at them and then he leapt back to get out of the way. Shukaku was confused at this and turned around only to see a giant claw shooting straight at him. His eyes widened when he saw who the claw belonged to.

**"That's impossible! You can't be here!"** Shukaku roared.

**"But I am, and I am here to kick your ass!"** Kyuubi retorted

Kyuubi raised his claw and gave a vicious slash down at Shukaku.

**"Shadow Strike!"** Kyuubi hollered tearing his claws through Shukaku's arm.

Shukaku howled in pain and Naruto took the chance. He channeled whatever chakra was left over and jumped off of Kyuubi's head. Naruto landed on Shukaku's head and began to run up to Gaara who was currently slumped over. He brought his fist back as he drew nearer to Gaara and gave a hard punch.

"Wake the fuck up!" Naruto yelled smashing his fist across Gaara's face.

He blazed through handsigns again and inhaled. A wind bullet shot at Gaara and Naruto followed close behind. When the attack hit Gaara, he was forced to lean back from the powerful blast. This gave Naruto the opportunity to end the fight. He punched Gaara directly in the forehead before tackling him out of the Shukaku's forehead completely. Shukaku instantly froze and cracks began to form all over his body.

**"No, no! What have you done?"** Shukaku roared.

Kyuubi grinned at his container as he plummeted to the trees below. He felt the transformation wearing off and realized his time was up and he was going to have to go back to the cage. Kyuubi gave one last evil grin at Shukaku before disappearing in a crack of smoke. Shukaku too felt the cracks overcoming his body and dispersed into sand before being blown away by the wind.

_**"I'll be back, count on it!"**_ Shukaku thought.

Naruto brought his leg back and drove it down into Gaara's stomach. Gaara went spiraling to the trees before crashing through them all. He continued his drop to the forest floor and hit it with a loud thump. His eyes were half open in exhaustion and he turned his head to the side when he heard something else land nearby. His eyes widened to fear as he saw Naruto limping toward him. Obviously he was still weakened from some of the attacks and being out of chakra.

"Get away from me!" Gaara yelled.

"The pain is difficult, isn't it?" Naruto asked with a sad smile.

"What?"

"The pain of being an outcast, feared by everybody for something out of your control, being attacked almost every day out of fear. I know that feeling Gaara, I really do. You and I are not so different. I too shared a fate just like yours I too am a Jinchuriki like you. But unlike you, I didn't find my solution in killing those out of hate. Granted back when I was younger I wanted to kill those who hurt me, but then that would prove that I was the monster they claimed me to be. When I was seven, I met the person who helped me find my way out of the darkness. He took me under his wing and became my brother. He taught me the values his father taught him when he was growing up. If you want to be strong, you need to have something to protect! That's where my strength comes from, Gaara! I have people I care about that I want to protect, even if it costs me my life! And right now, if are willing to kill anybody I care about, I will not hesitate to end your life right here!"

Gaara slowly absorbed each word that Naruto said to him. He remembered his uncle and he had remembered what he did to him. His uncle, granted he hated him, at least showed him the closest thing to love, even if it was all deceit. His mind then drifted to Kankuro and Temari. He heard two light thumps to his right and turned to see said people he was thinking of. They were looking at him with concern and slight fear. Kankuro looked like he was singed and some of his clothes were tattered. Temari had some bandages covering her injuries that she obtained from her fight against Sasuke. They received these injuries for him, defending him from harm. As he looked at them he felt a tear fall down his cheek. He turned back to Naruto who was sitting up holding his stomach.

"See Gaara, they care about you. They don't fear you, they are afraid for you. They don't want to see their little brother suffering from the burden of carrying the Shukaku. They want to help you and protect you because they love you." Naruto coughed some blood out from his internal bleeding.

Shino landed beside Naruto, looking a little tired from his fight against Kankuro but he seemed to be okay. He looked down at Naruto then at the sand siblings before him.

"What should we do, Naruto?" Shino asked.

"Let them go, I don't believe they wanted to fight in this war in the first place. Besides, they were tricked by Orochimaru when he impersonated their father." Naruto replied.

Shino nodded and squatted down by his fallen friend. He looked at the sand siblings and nodded at them to leave. Temari and Kankuro bowed and picked Gaara up gently and turned to leave, but Temari stopped. She walked over to Naruto who was being supported by Shino.

"Thank-you, Naruto." Temari said, pressing her lips to his cheek.

Naruto felt his face heat up and grinned a little bit.

"No worries, but you should probably get out of here before reinforcements show up." Naruto replied.

Temari nodded and hurried over to her brothers, helping to hold Gaara up. She gave one last look at Shino and Naruto before nodding. They turned around and jumped to the trees and out of sight. As they soared to each branch, Gaara looked at his brother and sister simultaneously.

"Kankuro, Temari, I'm sorry…for everything." Gaara muttered.

Kankuro and Temari looked at each other with wide eyes from the apology their brother gave them.

"Don't worry about it, Gaara. It's okay." Kankuro replied.

Shino pulled Naruto up and began to carry him back towards the village. Naruto trembled a bit and hacked up some more blood. His internal bleeding would stop by the time they got to the village thanks to Kyuubi's healing, but it still hurt alongside his broken ribs.

"Naruto, you look like hammered shit." Shino said with a smirk.

"Gotta look presentable when I get back, don't I?" Naruto asked smirking as well.

Shino chuckled a little bit at the response.

"Yeah, I guess you do." He said.

* * *

Back at the village, Gaz and Mac entered the stadium with Ino and Choji. Ino and Choji were a little banged up from clearing their sector after running into another juggernaut shinobi that would have probably killed them if Mac and Gaz had not shown up. They killed the juggernaut quickly and efficiently with their teamwork which made Ino realize that her teamwork with Choji should have been better. If it was, they would not have needed the help of Mac and Gaz and they would have cleared their area without any trouble. Ino vowed to herself to help build her teams teamwork to match the level of Gaz and Mac's team. They stopped in the center of the stadium to see their comrades getting patched up.

"Ah, Ino! Choji! You're both okay!" Asuma said running up to them.

"Yeah, we got a little banged up but we're okay." Choji replied grinning.

"That's good. Now let's get you both patched up."

Ino and Choji thanked Mac and Gaz before following their sensei to the small aid station in the field. Gaz and Mac hurried over to Grimes who was currently bandaging up his right arm. He grinned at them for their excellent work with clearing the village.

"Damn good job, you two. I'll be sure to have Darion notified of this." Grimes beamed.

"Actually, I don't think we're out of the woods just yet." Gaz said adjusting his bandanna.

"What do you mean?"

"Zano thinks the enemy is regrouping for a counterattack." Mac replied.

"What makes you think that?"

"Well, when we asked the other genin about clearing their sections, none of them met a lot of resistance. So I'm beginning to wonder if they had some hidden shinobi tailing us to where we would set up a base of operations. They probably know we're setting up a base that will be able to dispatch our shinobi to any part of the village quickly since it would be at a spot where we could access the whole village quickly. So now they probably know where we are and they are going to attack us while our guard is down."

Grimes listened to Gaz and thought about this for a moment. The stadium was in the center of the village and from where they were currently, it would be easy for them to clear the village, but if a counterattack were to come to the stadium they would be surrounded. His eyes widened in realization.

"Shit, everybody get up and rally on me for a minute!" Grimes yelled, gaining the attention of his comrades.

"What's wrong, Wallcroft?" Zara asked, appearing in front of him.

"Zano just brought up some information and I think he's right." Grimes replied.

"Oh? And what might that be?"

"Zano thinks the enemy is going to perform a counterattack on us since they will be able to box us in the stadium here. He thinks that each of us may have been tailed by a hidden shinobi to see where we might go when we cleared the village to set up a command post."

Zara looked Gaz up and down smiling inwardly. The boy in front of her was capable of officer rank with his tactics when it came to leading his comrades to clear the village, if not officer rank at least the rank of an NCO. She was brought out of her thoughts when Kakashi spoke up.

"I seriously doubt that. I don't think they'll attack us. We took out a lot of them when we cleared the village. Besides, if there were any shinobi tailing us, how come we couldn't sense their chakra?" Kakashi asked looking at Gaz.

Gaz growled in anger at Kakashi who had just basically insulted his theory at what could happen. He looked Kakashi in the eye and stepped forward, barely holding his anger in. Kakashi raised a brow at Gaz but glared when he got directly into his face.

"Do you really want me to break your thought right now with my proof as to why we may have another fight coming?" Gaz sneered.

"Heh, go ahead."

"Don't you find it the least bit strange that we didn't find any shinobi in the crowd when they were disguised as civilians during the matches? They managed to hide their chakra somehow and they could have easily did that when we were clearing the village. So I ask you this, Kakashi. Do you think we're in trouble now or not?"

Kakashi held in a retort and felt embarrassed at being proved wrong by a genin. To top it off it was Grimes's student none the less which was another blow to him. No matter what happened, Grimes always seemed one step ahead of him with everything when it came to leadership, training, and his students being ahead of his. He clenched his fists in anger so hard they trembled.

"Alright, Zano. What do you think we should do?" Zara asked.

"Why are you asking him? You're the officer! You're supposed to be the one making decisions, not asking the lower rank!" Kakashi barked.

"Listen here, I don't need you lecturing me how to do my job. I know what we need to do. I am testing Zano to see if he has the qualities I think he does for a rank promotion. Now shut the fuck up and let Zano make the call!" Zara snapped.

Gaz was shocked when he heard that from Zara. He knew it was hard for her to be impressed with a lot of things. But now that he heard that she considered him for a possible promotion to another rank, he felt a lot of pride sweep through his body. He looked at Kakashi and gave him a smirk before squatting down. He pulled out a map of the stadium and looked around at his comrades.

"Okay, as I said earlier, the enemy is most likely setting up for a counterattack. And we are currently right here." Gaz began as he pointed to the center of the stadium. "The stadium has four ground level entrances and it has three areas where shinobi can enter in the stands. Now from what I see here there is about twelve of us. So I would suggest we split into groups of two to three and hold positions at each opening to the stadium. I would say to have one Jounin if there is a group of three, making it two Genin and one Jounin. The reason for that is because they will probably have the stronger shinobi coming at us by this point since they already sent in the bait which was the Chunin and low Jounin level ninja. So I would suggest getting into a position for the attack and should they overwhelm us, we fall back to the center of the stadium and make our last stand there. However, I don't want them to know when we will be retreating to the center, so we will have a password to say when we want to pull back. When the password is said by the group leader, make a bunshin and have it run to the center then use **kawarimi** to switch places. When we're all in the center, get into a back to back three sixty formation and hold the position there."

Gaz finished his plan and looked around at his comrades. Most of them seemed comfortable with the plan but some looked nervous. He spared a glance at Kakashi and he seemed unfavorable of the idea but he shrugged it off. Zara and Grimes were both nodding with small smiles on their faces.

"Good plan, Zano. But there is a small problem with the groups. I'll give you a minute to see if you can see it." Grimes said.

Gaz looked around and pointed at each person for a headcount then put a hand to his chin.

"Damn, our groups aren't going to be big enough at each gate. That means it'll have to be groups of two and two people will have to hold an entrance by themselves." Gaz muttered.

"Nice job, now what is your next call?" Zara said.

"Well, I would say we should have the two strongest Jounin to hold the gates by themselves. So I would pick Grimes and Kakashi to hold the gates. Grimes will be on the bottom floor by the north side and Kakashi will hold the top floor on the east side. Now, I want everybody to switch their radio channels to channel two since it's the only one that'll hold all of us. And finally, the password is 'Redwing'. Everybody clear?" Gaz replied.

"Clear." Everyone chorused.

"Okay, let's make it happen. Everybody get to your positions with the groups you used to clear the village. Watch each other's back and remember the password, because I have the feeling we won't hold them out for long. I'll say the password when I want everyone to fall back."

Gaz and Mac grouped up and began to walk towards the eastern ground entrance. Before they set up their cover with debris, Grimes put a hand on Gaz's shoulder.

"I'm proud of you Zano. You took action and lead your friends successfully in getting the village secured, and you didn't back down when Kakashi tried to shoot down your concern with the possible counterattack." Grimes began which made Gaz grin. "But promise me one thing, Zano. Under no circumstances are you to use _**that**_ technique unless it's a last resort."

"I won't." Gaz replied.

"No Zano, I want you to tell me you will not use that technique unless it's your last option. I want to hear you say that to me right now."

Gaz looked Grimes in his eyes and noticed that he was deadly serious about this, but he could tell he was concerned for his wellbeing as well. The last time Gaz used the technique it almost killed him. Gaz nodded and cleared his throat.

"I promise I will not use the technique unless it's a last resort, Captain." Gaz said with sincerity.

Grimes nodded and patted him on the shoulder and moving on to Mac. He grinned at Mac and ruffled his hair.

"Nice job, Mac. You helped Zano with clearing the village and I am proud of you for helping to lead the others." Grimes said.

"Thank-you, Captain." Mac replied with a grin.

"Now you two be careful, I don't want either of you getting killed here."

Grimes turned around and ran across the field to hold his position on the northern gate. Kiba and Tenten were holding the southern gate, and Neji and Hinata were at the western gate. On the upper floor, Kakashi was at the eastern gate, Zara and Gai were at the southern gate, and Asuma and Kurenai were at the western gate. Gaz looked around and saw that everyone was in position and he began to get nervous. Zara basically decided to let him lead the group and keep them alive. However, he couldn't help be feel nervous of messing up and getting his comrades killed. He shook his head and told himself not to think of that. He would get his friends through this fight alive. Gaz heard footsteps coming from the tunnel ahead and motioned for Mac to crouch behind the cover they made.

_**"Everyone get ready, I think they're here. Hold your positions and standby. Wait until you can either ambush them or hit them with a surprise attack. Get ready for the password. I'll give us a possible amount of time until we are overrun. I would say we have about five minutes until we get swarmed, so be ready."**_ Gaz said into his radio.

_**"Hooah." **_Grimes replied.

Gaz threw a kunai to the top of the archway of the gate and got ready to detonate it with the exploding tag. He looked at Mac and held out his fist, waiting for Mac to tap it with his own.

"Time to kick some ass." Mac muttered.

"Damn straight." Gaz replied.

Mac peered over the cover and saw four shinobi standing under the archway with others coming out from behind them. Gaz nodded at Mac and detonated the tag on the kunai. The explosion engulfed some of the shinobi and blasted others off of their feet. Gaz pulled out his blade and jumped over the cover charging at the enemies. Mac followed Gaz and charged at the enemies creating some clones.

"Attack!" yelled an Oto shinobi.

Gaz fired a **Death Coil** at one shinobi and managed to hit him in the stomach. He brought his hands the ground and used all the runic power he built up so far. The ground began to shake and many pale flesh torn arms broke through the ground. In just a few seconds there stood over twenty ghouls **(2)** in front of Gaz and Mac. The ghouls charged at the shocked shinobi and began to hit them with brutal swipes and bites. Mac used his chakra and finished the release.

**"Storm of the Dancing Rune Weapon!"** Mac hissed.

He and his clones charged at the shinobi in front of them and began to slice them apart one by one.

* * *

Grimes was currently being attack by four shinobi, three of them were about Jounin level. He flipped away and held his hands out.

**"Hungering Cold!"** he hollered.

Three of the shinobi were encased in ice blocks, but the forth one narrowly dodged the attack. It was short lived for him when Grimes finished a handsign and was targeting him.

**"Hyouton Teppoudama!"**

The shinobi was hit in the face with the ice bullet, breaking his neck on impact. He landed on the ground in a heap as blood oozed from his mouth. Grimes leapt at the ice blocks and brought his sword back for an **Obliterate**. His blade cut through the ice like butter and shattered it leaving three dying shinobi to shiver from the cold. He felt something stab him in his side and he winced in pain. One shinobi snuck up on him and hit him in the stomach. He growled angrily and pulled out his knife, slicing the shinobi across the neck. Grimes felt three more kunai hit him in the back. He turned and saw four more shinobi behind him.

"Damn-it!" Grimes cursed as he jumped at them.

* * *

Kakashi had his sharingan eye visible and was slowly dispatching each of the enemies one by one. He charged up a **Raikiri** in his hand and stabbed it through an unsuspecting Jounin. He glanced around the stadium and saw that they were slowly being overrun. Kakashi felt a sharp pain in his stomach and arm when two kunai hit him. He glared furiously at the source and blazed through handsigns. Kakashi inhaled and sent fireballs at the other shinobi before leaping at them, knowing they would dodge. He was right. As soon as the shinobi dodged he drove a kunai into each of them. That's when Kakashi heard the voice over his radio.

_**"Redwing! I say again, Redwing!"**_ Gaz hollered.

Kakashi made a bunshin and sent it to the center of the stadium and prepared to make the last stand. When he saw his bunshin was in the stadium he quickly used **Kawarimi **to avoid a fatal attack from a Suna shinobi. He now stood in the center of the stadium and got back to back with some of his comrades that were there. Gaz and Mac appeared in the center and were looking around from Grimes. They saw his bunshin come over to the group and they could tell he was getting really banged up with all the wounds that were currently on his clone. Grimes pushed a shinobi off of with his blade and drove his knife into his neck before getting ready to perform **Kawarimi**. Just as he landed the handsign, everything went dark. An exploding tag went off at Grimes's feet and blasted him back a bit. Gaz and Mac watched with horror as their captain was taken down.

"No!" Gaz screamed.

He summoned Walter and turned to Zara.

"Zara, hold here and watch my back. I'm going to get Grimes!" Gaz barked.

Zara nodded and watched as Gaz and Walter charged at the oncoming Shinobi. Each one that reached them was either slashed by an enraged Gaz or a clubbed by Walter with his stone armor. Everyone watched as Gaz slaughtered through each shinobi to get to his captain.

"Walter, guard me as I carry him back!" Gaz ordered.

Walter gave a cackle and lunged at a Jounin that was coming at Gaz's right. The Jounin was crushed from the weight of Walter's armor and suffocated slowly. Some exploding tags were going off all around Gaz as he struggled back to the group.

"Damn-it!" He roared.

Grimes's eyes fluttered open and he looked up to see he was being dragged away from the gate he was at. He saw Walter taking down any shinobi that came at him. Grimes tried to move but felt intense pain in his leg and his stomach from explosion. Finally his eyes drifted up and noticed Gaz pulling him. He opened his mouth to speak but felt blood drip out. This scared him a bit since he now had internal bleeding.

"Z-Zano," Grimes spoke but hacked up more blood.

"Just shut up and stay with me, Grimes. I need you to stay awake, don't blackout!" Gaz yelled.

He finally managed to set Grimes down in the center of all his comrades. Walter took Gaz's position to hold the line as he tried to patch Grimes up a bit. Gaz pulled out the Grimes medical pouch and cut open his vest with his knife. He quickly wrapped Grimes's stomach up with the medical bandages and cursed knowing it wouldn't last long before the blood starts to seep through.

"Those fuckers are going to pay! I'm going to fucking kill you, you hear me you sons a bitches? I'm going to fucking kill you!" Gaz roared.

He summoned his duel wielding weapons and felt his rage get the better of him. Gaz charged at the crowd and began to hack them to pieces.

* * *

Meanwhile with the Darion and Hiruzen, their battle was nearing its end. Hiruzen summoned Enma and had him helping to gain the upper hand of the fight. Darion charged up some more power and got ready to use **Reaper's Strike** again. Enma came at Orochimaru's right leaving his left side exposed. Darion took the chance and jumped at Orochimaru bringing his swords back. Orochimaru noticed this and quickly made a bunshin and sent it to attack Darion. Darion noticed the bunshin and was about to strike it, but was blasted back after the bunshin exploded. He hit the rooftop and bounced halfway across the building before lying motionless.

"Darion!" Hiruzen yelled.

"I've won, Sarutobi-sensei." Orochimaru sneered as he put pressure on Hiruzen's staff with his blade.

"The will of fire burns strong with my people, and they will fight to the death if it means protecting the things they love!"

"Hehe, well they have the death part right. Take a look below Sarutobi-sensei, they're done for."

Hiruzen glanced down and noticed his shinobi falling over from exhaustion and injury and being surrounded by the enemies. The only one left standing was Gaz who was on his last legs. He stood up and held his blades at the ready and killed another Jounin that attacked him.

"I am intrigued by Wallcrofts students though. The one that's standing is one of his students, is he not?" Orochimaru said.

Hiruzen jumped back and leapt at Orochimaru again. Enma landed beside Hiruzen and glanced down at Gaz in the arena. The boy was on his knees and surrounded by ten Jounin. He had no energy left and he was shaking badly.

"Yes, Gaz Zanovich is Grimes's student. He seems to be more strong than your Jounin are, Orochimaru." Hiruzen taunted.

"Don't test my patience old man. I'm going to kill you right here." Orochimaru said with a glare.

* * *

Gaz felt tears of anger build in his eyes and fall down his face. His friends all lay unconscious or badly wounded around him and it was because of his choice to pull back to the center of the arena. He looked down and felt his head pulsing with exhaustion and his vision was going dark.

_**"You are weak, Gaz. You were too weak to protect them, and now you will die here."**_ The voice whispered in his head.

_"Shut-up, I'm still here and there's only ten of them left. I can take them!"_ Gaz snapped back.

_**"You're not fooling anyone you pathetic boy! You're on your last legs and the only way to win this is if you release me! I know you want to win, all you need to do is release me… release me, Gaz. Release me!"**_

Gaz's eyes rolled to the back of his head and he looked blankly at the ground. His grip slackened on his blades a little bit but he still held on to them. The Jounin were drawing near to him and grinning triumphantly.

"Aw look guys, the kid is crying!" one taunted.

"Kill the others, but leave the women alive." Said another.

The Jounin reached down to grab Gaz's neck but his hand was stopped by a bone like hand. He could see the bones completely replacing the hand with talons. The Jounin tried to move but found the grip too strong.

**"My turn to play now!"** Gaz said, an insane grin spreading across his face.

There was a sickening crack as Gaz snapped the Jounin's arm completely in half. He drove his blade into the Jounin's stomach and wrenched it out, sending his innards to the ground. He turned around and vanished as he dashed at two other Jounin. They looked around trying to find Gaz. Gaz covered the mouth of one of the Jounin and snapped his neck then slashed the other across the throat.

"Kill him, quickly!" barked one Jounin.

**"Pathetic…"** Gaz whispered into the Jounin's ear.

He drove his sword through the Jounin's back and kicked him off the blade. Gaz jumped in the shadow of another Jounin who missed him complete when he tried to cut him.

"He's too fast!" shouted one.

**"Time to end it…"** Gaz's voice echoed around the stadium.

"Where are you?" shouted another.

**"Shadow Dance,"** Gaz muttered.

He suddenly burst from the shadow of one of the Jounin and decapitated him. Some shuriken and kunai came at him, but he vanished on the turn of his heel. That's when they noticed a small circle shadow dash toward them.

"There he is!" one yelled.

But it was too late, Gaz had already moved into the shadow and drove his fist into the Jounin's stomach and pierced his flesh. He pulled his hand out and vanished again appearing behind the last Jounin. He pierced the Jounin with his blade and lifted him off the ground before slamming him into the ground. The Jounin writhed on the ground in agony.

"What the hell are you?" the Jounin gasped.

**"None of your concern."** Gaz whispered.

The light slowly faded from the Jounin's eyes and Gaz threw his head back and laughed manically. He felt a small tug from the back of his mind.

_"Your time's up."_ Gaz said.

_**"I'll be back, Gaz. You know that."**_ The voice replied.

Gaz regained control of his body and fell face first to the ground in exhaustion. His vision went dark as he fell into blissful unconsciousness.

* * *

"What is that boy exactly?" Orochimaru asked as he watched Gaz pass out.

"One of a kind, and nothing that you'll be getting your grubby hands on!" Darion spat as he appeared behind Orochimaru.

"What the?" Orochimaru stated in surprise.

Darion grabbed his arms and grinned wickedly. He pulled back quickly and there were two loud cracks and Orochimaru screamed in pain.

"You seem too proud of these arms, so I guess you won't be needing them anymore." Darion sneered.

He brought his blades black and brought them down. There were two dull thumps as Orochimaru's arms landed on the roof. Orochimaru glared with rage at Darion and jumped away from him and Hiruzen. The barrier to their arena vanished and four shinobi surrounded Orochimaru.

"Pull back, the invasion has failed." Orochimaru said.

"Hai." They chorused.

The five of them shunshined out of sight leaving Darion and Hiruzen alone on the roof. They looked at each other and then the village. A lot of it was burning in flames and many shinobi were wounded or killed. Hiruzen looked into the arena and at Gaz who had managed to defend his fallen friends with terrifying power.

"Darion, what happened with Gaz there? He was down for the count, but he got up and tore those Jounin apart." Hiruzen said looking at his ally.

"That was the result of the demon that lives inside of Gaz. It's known as a Bloodreaper. I've only seen that power once and I hoped never to see it again. That power is strong but it's a double edge sword. Whenever Gaz uses the power it takes out two years of his life and whenever he is hurt in that form the damage is doubled. But when he uses the power, he is almost unstoppable." Darion replied.

"So, he's like a berserker?"

"Yes and no. Berserkers are unleashed when they become enraged, but Gaz can only call upon it when he's near death. If he calls on it in the beginning of the fight he loses energy too quickly. That is why Grimes and I have forbidden him from using that technique unless it's his last option."

"How did he gain that power exactly?"

"It was during the Icecrown training. It was one of the last days and he was attacked by another Death Knight that wasn't from our faction since he followed the Lich King. But the Death Knight was possessed by the Bloodreaper and when Gaz killed him, the spirit jumped to him instead. But he has excellent control over it which is why he was able to call if off there before he passed out."

"How many times has he used its power?"

"This would be the third time I've seen him do that."

"And how do you know it lowers his life span?"

"We learned after he used the power the second time. Before Gaz regained control, the Bloodreaper told us the consequences of using its power. And if it's used too many times, the years of life that are taken away increase. So that's why I said the power was a double edged sword."

Hiruzen nodded and raised his hand in an ANBU handsign. Anko, Ibiki and ten ANBU arrived in front of Hiruzen awaiting instruction.

"Get those shinobi to the hospital immediately!" Hiruzen said, pointing at the shinobi in the stadium.

"Hai, Hokage-Sama!" they chorused.

Hiruzen sat down on the roof and put his pipe in his mouth. There was going to be a lot of paperwork to be done tomorrow.

* * *

**Holy nuts, I believe I broke the record of the most pages I had in a chapter with any of my stories with this one right here. 31 pages of long hard work. Now I know this is late guys but what can I say? I'm not making promises here, I do my best damn-it! Hehe, well anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I'll try to update as soon as I can. And I have a couple of announcements to make. The first announcement is I'm back in college so it may be a little difficult to get a chapter or so out. Second, I am looking for an artist that is willing to do drawings for this story, someone who can draw based on examples and visuals basically since I can only explain instead of talking face to face. Third, I have closed the poll based for the background story with Grimes. The story will be a separate story from this one, but my only hope is that those who voted yes for the story actually read it since I don't want to waste my time if no one is going to review for it or read it. And fourth, I know of the changes in Death Knight talents for the Cataclysm expansion and quite frankly I don't give a fuck if you hardcore Death Knight players get pissy at me for this but I'm keeping the Wrath of the Lich King DK style, meanin frost tank spec and blood/unholy dps spec. That's basically all I can think of at the moment, but yeah, I'll have a new poll posted on my profile after I post this chapter, I won't say what it is, but take a look. That's all I have to say, like I said earlier I hope you enjoyed the chapter because it was a bit of a pain in the ass to write. **

**Spellbook/Jutsu/Death Knight Abilites:**

**Reaper's Strike (Own Creation)- A powerful attack that's a one-hit kill if i meet's the mark. Only Darion has the ability to use this power unless he trains it to those he deems worthy. The attack involves him channeling his runic power and stamina as well as his necromancer power to use. The max amount he can use it is 2 times without almost killing himself. It rips the soul out of the person it hits, resulting in the one-hit kill.**

**Shadow Strike (Own Creation)- Kyuubi's most powerful attack when he's used as a transformation, but it pales in comparrison to his real attack which will be revealed by Kyuubi later.**

**Shadow Dance- The user can only use this when in Bloodreaper form. The attack allows the user to teleport to the shadows of his enemies with the range of five to ten yards. Basically it's a killing spree that can occur if the Bloodreaper chooses to use it after killing one person. **

**Bestiary:**

**Bloodreaper (Own Creation)- A very rare demon that has been extinct for hundreds of years. They posess a person who they deem as a worthy host but tend to taunt their hosts to release them to go on killing sprees. They are very deadly when awakened in the host and are almost impossible to stop or kill unless the host is weakened. The host gains very intense power but awakening the reaper is a double edge sword. When the reaper is awakened they transform their host to take their appearance and gain all of their powers. However, the downside to this is that everytime the host awakens the Bloodreaper they lose a couple years of their life span and it grows the more the ability is used. The second downside is that the Bloodreapers are damaged twice as much by normal attacks than their host would be if it wasn't in Bloodreaper form. The life expectancy of a Bloodreaper host is very low since it is to be killed in the form. The host can control the power of the Bloodreaper willingly if it's strong enough, but that is very rare alone. Gaz is currently one of the only hosts that can do that.**

**Appearance: Basically looks like a Forsaken with one yellow eye and one red eye. But the stronger the host gets the appearance can change, currently this is the form Gaz takes when he uses the Bloodreaper ability.**

**Fun Terms****:**

**1.) NCO- Stands for Non Commissioned Officer, EX: Seargents**

**2.) Hooah- Just a phrase that stands for, "Got it,", "Yes,", "Okay,", "Will Comply," etc.**

**Points:**

**(1) I originally thought of having Hinata kill this guy with a Tomahawk but when did Shinobi start using Tomahawks over kunai or shuriken?**

**(2) Gaz was using the ability 'Army of the Dead' an old Death Knight talent before Cataclysm Expansion. I'm not sure if it's still there, but I don't know since I haven't played my DK in almost over a year. **


	21. Promotions, The Council and a Mission

**Heeeeeeeeeeeeeere's the Captain! Hey guys I'm just here to update the story obviously after a very long wait. I'm sorry this is late guys, I really am, a friend of mine that I knew since fifth grade that I met up with again in college passed away a little over a month ago and I'm still dealing with it. I also have college and that is important and I can't afford to flunk out so I basically took a hammer and literally smashed my books into my skull to help myself stay on top of everything. Anyway, I'm also writing to say I just have two weeks until my semester is done. That means faster updates and I will try to get a new chapter up within the next two or two and a half weeks. Anyway, enough of that so let's get to the reason why the hell you're really here. So you know the drill, read and review when done. Please give me some review guys, because believe it or not I do read all the reviews I get. And if it's not too much to ask, possibly say what you liked about the chapter, or even who your favorite character is. I mean I like the reviews that say "Nice chapter!" or "Update soon!" but it gets old and I recently asked myself if some of you really feel attached to the story at all. I mean I know a handful of you do comment on the chapters that are written and say what you liked about it (You know who you are), but all I ask is that those of you that don't just try to give me something new instead of the old and usual, "Nice chapter!" or "Update soon!". Well I guess that's all I really had to say, so before you start stabbing me with pitchforks, enjoy the chapter!**

**Warning: This chapter has A LOT of dialogue but it's important as well.**

**Don't forget about the new poll I have on my profile page! I'll leave it up for a few more chapters before I close it, so hurry and vote now!**

**Chapter Summary: The invasion has finally ended and we open the chapter with the funeral for those that gave their lives during the invasion. However, with death comes new life and hope as some chosen Genin are selected to help lead the new generation. Mograine is finally introduced to the civialians and shinobi. Not only that, but the council comes back for round two and Naruto and Jiraiya begin their search for Tsunade.**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Naruto or World of Warcraft. I DO however own the OCs (Grimes, Gaz, Mac, Walter, Ryuzaki), the story and the idea of the story itself!**

**Bold- Jutsu/Death Knight Attacks/Kyuubi speaking/Scourge/Inner Sakura**

**Italic- Thoughts/Letters/Flashbacks**

* * *

Three days had passed since the failed invasion of Suna and Oto resulting in casualties. Konoha's shinobi forces had taken a bit of a hit from the assault. Konoha had lost the lives of fifty shinobi and they currently had over ninety wounded. But it was thanks to those shinobi that all of Konoha's civilians were alive. Many of the rookie genin were still in the hospital and recovering from their injuries. However, the medical staff of Konoha was not at the best strength. Many of the medic nin did their best, but some of the injuries were out of their league to heal and they were understaffed. The only person who would be able to help some of these unfortunate shinobi was Tsunade of the Sanin, but her whereabouts were unknown.

Grimes Wallcroft just happened to be among the unlucky injured shinobi. Apparently the paper bomb that hit him in the stadium damaged his leg so badly the medics couldn't heal the damage. Until a medic that had skills that was with the level of Tsunade, he was not allowed to be on active duty. The doctor's had given him a crutch to walk with along with some pain killer drugs much to his annoyance. He looked at the bright side though and was thankful none of his comrades he was familiar with was sharing the same fate as him. Most of the people that held position in the stadium suffered from minor injuries and chakra exhaustion. All of them had been treated and were now leaving today to head to the memorial service for the fallen shinobi in the village square.

Grimes walked up to the front desk of the hospital to restock on his pain killers since the doctors only gave him a few to last a couple days and told him to get some more should the pain continue. The nurse at the desk found his prescription medication and handed it to him. Thanking her, he turned around to see Kurenai talking with Anko a few feet away. He began to walk towards them and accidently dropped the bottle of medication. The bottle rolled towards Kurenai and came to a rest at her feet. She noticed the bottle and turned to see Grimes looking at it sadly.

"I can get if for you, Grimes," Kurenai said bending down to pick up the medication.

She walked over to him and handed him the medication. He took the medication and pocketed it.

"Thanks for that," Grimes said with a grin.

"You two love birds ready to go?" Anko asked.

The pair of them blushed and sent glares at Anko who was grinning widely. Anko waved and dashed out the front door before either could give chase. Grimes and Kurenai exited the hospital after their eccentric friend and began to head to the village square.

* * *

All the shinobi and civilians stood in front of a stage in the village square. On the stage there was a long table with photos of all the fallen shinobi going across. One by one people walked on to the stage to place a flower to honor the fallen. The last ones up were Naruto, Gaz, Mac and Grimes. After each of them placed their flower, Grimes lined all of them up in front of the photos. When that happened, the four of them brought their right hands to the tip of their eyebrows in a salute.

"Order arms!" Grimes said.

The Death Knight's arms snapped back down and they awaited the next command. They executed a right face and marched off the stage and back into the audience. Once everyone had paid their respects, Hiruzen and Darion walked on to the stage. Whispers broke out in the crowd at seeing the newcomer standing beside their Hokage.

"We are here to provide a memorial to those who bravely gave their lives so that Konoha would stand to see another day. Let us not look at this day as a day of sadness, but a day of remembrance and honor to those who fought to keep the will of fire alive!" Hiruzen spoke.

The crowd applauded as Hiruzen said his bit. They stopped when he raised his hand to have them. Hiruzen turned to Darion and motioned for him to step forward.

"I want you to meet then man who helped me in my fight against Orochimaru. He is the leader of the faction known as 'The Knights of the Ebon Blade'. The man beside me here is Darion Mograine and I would like you all to welcome him." Hiruzen continued.

Everyone hesitated for a moment but began to clap again as Darion stepped forward and gave a small wave. He wasn't really one for recognition since he preferred not to be known for his actions unless it was absolutely necessary to be known. He stepped back and looked at Hiruzen who nodded at him.

"I would like to take the time to announce some important matters. The first is to acknowledge certain shinobi for their actions during the invasion. So when I say your name, come up on stage to receive your award." Hiruzen began.

He cleared his throat and motioned for Ibiki to come forward holding a dusty chest. Many murmurs broke through the crowd as people realized what the awards were. The last time any awards were given was during the Third Great Shinobi War. To think that some shinobi earned these awards from the invasion was a bit of a shock to them since the awards were only given out during large-scale warfare.

"The first award to be given out is the Nidaime Service Medal, given to those who have shed blood in service to their village. At this time, I would like the following people to come up and receive this medal. Akamichi Chouji, Aburame Shino, Zara Ashwing, Mac Compton, Hatake Kakashi, Higurashi Tenten, Hyuuga Hinata, Hyuuga Neji, Inuzuka Kiba, Nara Shikamaru, Sarutobi Asuma, Uzumaki Naruto, Grimes Wallcroft, Yuhi Kurenai, and Gaz Zanovich." Hiruzen announced.

Each of them went up as ordered and stood in a line. Ibiki walked down, pinning the award on each of their clothes. Hinata felt pride sweep through her body as Ibiki pinned the award on her. She looked into the crowd and noticed her father standing nearby and he had a smile on his face, showing he was very proud of her for her actions. Once Ibiki was done, each of them walked off the stage and back to their original spots. Hiruzen stepped forward again and Ibiki was now holding a red chest.

"Now, the final award is the second highest award for shinobi ranks. And we are very lucky to have the recipient alive to earn it since the beginning of the Third Great Shinobi War. Same method as before, when I say your name come up and have it placed on you. At this time I would like Gaz Zanovich to come up on stage to receive the Shodaime Medal of Valor." Hiruzen said, grinning at Gaz's face.

Gaz stood still in shock. He blinked a couple of times and felt Grimes' hand on his shoulder. He looked up and saw Grimes beaming down at him. Gaz shook his head and slowly made his way up to the stage. His legs felt like rubber and his heartbeat increased as he grew closer to the stage. Once he stood on the stage, he turned around as Ibiki pinned the medal on his chest. The audience broke into applause again, along with whistles and cheers from his friends. He walked off the stage and back to his teammates who clapped him on the back and ruffled his hair. Ibiki pulled out three folded Chunin flak vests and nodded at the Hokage to show he was ready to move on.

"Now for our second order of business, I am going to announce the promotion of the selected Genin from the Chunin Exams to earn their vests. When I say their names, I ask the audience to hold their applause to the end and to respect the decision I made. The promotions were only given to those who have shown they have the skills to be Chunin." Hiruzen announced.

"At this time, I would like Nara Shikamaru, Ryuzaki Sanderson and Uzumaki Naruto to come up to the stage."

Naruto's heart skipped a beat when he heard his name. He was slowly becoming the ninja wanted to be. He hurried up to the stage with Shikamaru following him from behind. Ryuzaki was already on stage and waiting for the two of them. Naruto, Shikamaru and Ryuzaki stood shoulder to shoulder and looked at the village in front of them. Each of them had their own facial expression. Naruto was grinning broadly, Shikamaru looked bored, and Ryuzaki looked passive. Obviously he was one who was able to act professional regardless of the cause. Ibiki stopped in front of each of them distributing them a green flak vest. They slowly put the jackets on and the audience applauded again.

Darion stepped forward by Hiruzen and nodded at him. Hiruzen nodded back and cleared his throat before looking at the crowd again.

"Highlord Mograine is going to finish this ceremony with promotions of his own," Hiruzen said turning to Darion again.

"Thank you, Hiruzen." Darion replied. "As all of you are now aware, I am in charge of a certain faction known as the Ebon Blade. My men are known as Death Knights, and I currently have five of them in the village at this time. Two are here on stage, and the other three are in the crowd. I ask that you all congratulate three of them that will be promoted here today. They have proven they are more than capable of leading men into battle. I want Gaz Zanovich and Mac Compton to join Uzumaki Naruto up here on the stage for their promotion."

Mac and Gaz one again made their way through the audience and to the stage. When the two of them filed beside Naruto, Darion motioned for Grimes to come up on stage as well. Zara ended up supporting Grimes up the stairs with his lack of mobility much to his embarrassment. Zara and Grimes stood on either side of Darion while he pulled out his blade. Naruto, Gaz and Mac kneeled down awaiting their acknowledgement. Darion walked over to Naruto first.

"Corporal Uzumaki. For your leadership and tactics with your squad during these past few months and the Icecrown training, I have deemed it fit to grant you the rank of an officer. As of now, I promote you to First Lieutenant." Darion said, tapping Naruto on each shoulder with his blade.

Naruto's eyes widened and he almost choked in shock. This didn't go unnoticed by Darion who smirked at his blond friend.

_'That's for putting the itching powder in my clothes you cheeky bastard.' _Darion thought.

Zara walked up to Naruto holding a silver vertical pin. She pinned the insignia on his flak vest and saluted him. Naruto saluted Zara back before kneeling back down again. Darion walked to Gaz next and stood in front of him.

"Private First Class Zanovich. After hearing of your tactics and mission execution during the invasion, I have decided to give you a different rank than I originally assigned you. I hereby promote you to Staff Sergeant," Darion said, tapping each of his shoulders.

Gaz stood up and saluted Darion and Zara after she gave him the insignia patch to be sewn on his clothes as well as the pin. She pinned the insignia on his chest alongside his Medal of Valor. He kneeled down and felt a grin spread across his face. He only wished his father could see him now. It suddenly came to him that he had basically accomplished his goal that he told his team a few months back.

_/Flashback/_

_Team Seven turned to Gaz as his turn came up for the introduction. He nodded and looked at everyone in front of him. After telling them his name, likes, dislikes and hobbies his dream came up._

_"My dream is to be great soldier just like my dad!" Gaz said, clenching his fist._

_/Flashback End/_

He felt a couple of tears trickle down his face. His dream had become a reality and he felt a rush of pride fill his body. Gaz looked up at the clear sky and gave a small smile.

"I did it, dad. I did it!" Gaz muttered.

Mac and Naruto heard Gaz say this and smiled. They knew Gaz was touchy about his family. The fact he was crying at accomplishing a goal that he made to himself in honor to his father proved that. Naruto and Mac each put a hand on his shoulder and gave a gentle pat.

"Your old man would be proud, Zano." Naruto whispered.

Gaz nodded and looked down at the stage again. Darion moved over to Mac and waited tapped his shoulders.

"Private Compton. I believe after assisting Sergeant Zanovich during the invasion, you too have earned the rank of an NCO. I now promote you to Staff Sergeant as well." Darion said.

Mac stood up and saluted Darion who saluted back. Darion sheathed his blade and stepped away as Zara handed Mac his patch and pinned his insignia on him as well. Mac saluted Zara and she saluted back. She gave a smirk and ruffled Mac's hair before walking to stand beside Grimes again.

"Hiruzen, I am finished now. I think it would be proper if you ended the ceremony." Darion said.

Sarutobi nodded and looked at the crowd in front of him.

"This concludes the ceremony. Please offer the fallen prayers and pray for their families as well," Sarutobi said bowing his head to offer a prayer.

* * *

Each person in the audience gave a prayer and slowly they left the village square. When the square cleared, the only people remaining were the rookie nine, their Jounin senseis, Darion, Zara and Hiruzen. Naruto, Mac and Gaz were being congratulated by the other genin, excluding Sakura and Sasuke who just glared at them. Ino and Choji were congratulating Shikamaru who tried waving it off saying it was just more demanding and troublesome.

"Man, you can bitch about anything can't you?" Ryuzaki asked, looking at Shikamaru.

"Don't even get me started." Shikamaru replied.

Ryuzaku smirked and gave a playful slap to the back of Shikamaru's head. He rubbed it in slight pain with an irritated look on his face. Ryuzaki shrugged at him as though he was saying, "You were asking for it with that comment." Zara looked at Shikamaru with disappointment at his lack of appreciation. She was about to grab his ear and lecture him but stopped when she heard sensed a group of people coming towards them. Sure enough the elders Danzou, Koharu, and Homura stood in front of them with two ROOT Anbu. She narrowed her eyes at the five newcomers in suspicion. Hiruzen was glaring in anger when he noticed the ROOT Anbu before shifting his glare to Danzou. Danzou noticed this but didn't show any emotion as Hiruzen glared at him.

"Hiruzen, we would like to have a word with you," Homura said looking at him through his glasses.

"About what?" Hiruzen asked.

"It's only for a select few to hear." Koharu replied.

"And who would that be?"

"You, Highlord Mograine, and Uzumaki Naruto." Danzou replied.

"Why does Naruto need to be present?" Grimes asked.

"That's none of your concern, Wallcroft."

"The hell it isn't!"

"Mind your tone, Wallcroft."

"If you think I'm going to let you talk to Naruto without me being present, you've got another thing coming.

Danzou remained impassive on the outside, but on the inside he was furious. The man before him was really beginning to become a thorn in his side. If he could separate him from Naruto, he could attempt to put his plan into motion. He decided to knock Grimes down a couple pegs and smirked briefly. Danzou moved his finger a little bit and signaled his Root Anbu to attack.

Grimes noticed Danzou move his finger and immediately had his hand on his knife. He gave a quick slash to his left, cutting the Root Anbu across the chest. While he managed to defend himself against the first, his injury prevented him from moving to block the second Anbu. The Anbu pressed a pressure point in his arm, making him drop his knife. He then sunk his fist in Grimes' stomach, kicked out his cane, and kicked him at the side of his wounded leg. Grimes let out a cry of pain and landed on his side, his hands holding his leg.

"You son of a bitch!" Grimes yelled through grit teeth.

Darion, not willing to tolerate the attack quickly summoned his blade and held out his hand. A purple arm shot out, grabbed the Anbu by the neck and pulled him towards Darion. As the Anbu was in striking distance, Darion drove his blade forward and stabbed the Anbu through the mask. He kicked the corpse off his blade and turned towards Danzou, his eyes glowing neon blue.

"I will not tolerate you attacking one of my soldiers. The next time you do that, I'll kill you," Darion said with sincerity.

Hiruzen had vanished and appeared beside the first Anbu and stabbed a kunai into his kidneys. The Anbu gave a loud cry in pain before falling to the ground in a heap. Hiruzen turned his steel gaze towards the elders but mainly on Danzou.

"Danzou, I told you to disband ROOT years ago. We will discuss this in the council chambers today. And should any of your Anbu attack another shinobi from our village or an allied village, I will not hesitate to execute you for treason!" Hiruzen said, barely holding his rage.

"Very well." Danzou replied.

The elders turned around and began to walk towards the Hokage's Tower for the meeting. Darion, Hiruzen and Naruto were following close behind. Naruto was glaring at Danzou's back the whole time as they walked. Darion and Hiruzen were doing the same thing and they were currently wondering what exactly was going to be brought up during the meeting. Hiruzen's main priority was to put Danzou's ROOT out of commission once and for all during this meeting, consequences be damned.

* * *

Hiruzen took his seat by the elders while Darion sat with the shinobi council. Naruto took a seat beside Darion and ignored the glares he was receiving from the civilian council. After Naruto sat down, Hiruzen cleared his throat to speak.

"It has come to my attention that this meeting was called for by the elders and civilians. I ask that we bring up the issues they have first. After that is out of the way, I'm going to bring up something that needs to be addressed." Hiruzen said.

"Please bring up the first topic," Homura said turning to the civilians.

"We want to know why that boy was promoted to Chunin instead of Uchiha Sasuke!" shouted a merchant.

"Uchiha Sasuke has shown he is not ready to become a Chunin. He showed up late to his match, he disobeyed an order by a commanding officer, and he is too unstable." Shikaku stated.

"Shikaku is correct about this. Besides, unlike Sasuke, Naruto was on time for his match. He also showed tactics, strength and loyalty. Those are the main qualities I look for in a shinobi and that is why he was promoted over Sasuke." Hiruzen said sending a glare at the merchant.

The merchant sat down in defeat knowing the Hokage's judgment was final. He glared at Naruto in hatred but he just received a grin and a cheerful wave.

"Please bring up the next order of business," Koharu announced looking over at the civilians.

"We are aware that Highlord Mograine there is in charge over Grimes Wallcroft. And we would like him to have Grimes train Uchiha Sasuke in necromancy like he has for his students," Haruno Lina said looking at Darion.

"Let me ask you something," Darion said looking at the pink haired woman before him.

"Fine."

"Why is it you don't have the clan heads train Sasuke?"

"Because their clan techniques belong to them and their teachings don't belong to anyone outside their clans."

"Right, so what makes our necromancy so special then? Our necromancy is basically our clan techniques for our soldiers. Why should I give that spoiled brat any of our power? I've already witnessed his impatience and arrogance. I will not train that boy in any art of necromancy. Besides, he doesn't have the strength to use it. If he were to try and learn necromancy it would kill him."

"Then why can those three brats from Wallcroft's team use it?"

"I would really advise you not to insult my soldiers unless you want to invoke my wrath and that is something you do not want to be on the receiving end of. And the reason why they can use necromancy is because they have the ability to balance the power and they use it for the right reason. To protect their friends and to destroy the scourge, that's it."

"Sasuke needs that power just as much as they do!"

"What that little insect needs is an attitude adjustment. I will not force Grimes to teach that maggot anything in necromancy. This argument you're giving me resides in military affairs. Civilians have no say in military power. Think about this next time before you demand the leader of an allied faction something!"

Lina's cheeks flushed red and she sat down in her chair. Darion shook his head and pinched the bridge of his nose. He could feel the headache coming on now. Inuzuka Tsume was looking at Darion with interest and smirked a little bit. Her respect for Darion rose when he defended himself from Lina's foolish attempt to get the Uchiha power through the civilian's demand.

"Mograine-sama, just out of curiosity, would you be willing to teach any other shinobi necromancy?" Tsume asked.

"Honestly, I would rather not. But depending on circumstances that may be coming up soon there is a possibility that I will let certain shinobi learn it." Darion replied.

Tsume nodded and Danzou took the chance to speak.

"Hiruzen, may I speak about my order of business?" Danzou asked.

"When you address me you will call me Hokage-sama, Danzou!" Hiruzen said with obvious anger.

"My apologies, Hokage-sama."

"Continue."

"Mograine-san, may I offer a request?"

"Depends on what you're about to ask me. At this rate I'm in a position to decline any request you have for me after your men attacked one of my soldiers," Darion replied with narrowed eyes.

"What I wanted to ask was if you wanted to make any of your current soldiers stronger." Danzo continued.

"Danzou, that's enough! You are not taking any of Grimes' students!" Hiruzen barked.

"Hokage-sama, what exactly is Danzou trying to imply? Does it have anything to do with those Anbu that attacked Grimes earlier?" Darion asked.

"As a matter of fact, it does have to do with those Anbu. Those Anbu that attacked Grimes earlier were Danzou's special Anbu known as ROOT. And the reason why I became furious with him before the meeting is because he was supposed to have disbanded them years ago. Apparently he blew it off and continued on with it in secret. I had ordered ROOT to be disbanded because of what he did to train them."

"And what exactly did he do?"

"He basically turns them into mindless obedient dogs and uses them to do his dirty work."

"I see."

"Hokage-sama, as I've told you before, I train the shinobi in my ROOT for Konoha's best interests." Danzou replied.

Darion for his part knew he was already going to decline Danzou's proposition before he knew what it was. Now that he heard what Hiruzen said, he was definitely not going to trust the man before him.

"Danzou, I decline your request," Darion said, taking a swig from his hipflask.

"Mograine-san, I can help prepare your men for this upcoming war with the scourge." Danzou replied.

"And my answer remains the same. If it means I lose the minds of my men, who are basically my remaining family, I will not allow you to train them."

Danzou gripped his cane roughly to the point in shook in his hand. He quietly sat back down in his chair and took a deep breath.

"Very well, Mograine-san. But if you ever change your mind, you are welcome to talk to me," Danzou spoke calmly.

Hiruzen decided to take the opportunity and end the meeting. He now knew he would have to keep a very close eye on Danzou, especially since he wanted to get one of the death knights under his command. If his hunch was correct his main target was Naruto because of the Kyuubi being sealed inside of him. If he couldn't get Naruto, his next option would most likely be Gaz because of the Bloodreaper.

"We will continue this meeting another day. Danzou, I want to speak with you in my office after I finish talking with Naruto and Highlord Mograine," Hiruzen said, his eyes never leaving Danzou's.

"Very well, Hokage-sama." Danzou replied.

* * *

Hiruzen, Darion and Naruto exited the council chambers and began to walk to Hiruzen's office. None of them decided to speak just in case they were being tailed by one of Danzou's ROOT Anbu. When the three of them entered the office, Hiruzen shut the door and placed a silencing seal over it. He lit his pipe and sat at his desk. Naruto lounged in the chair in front of the desk while Darion stood with his arms crossed.

"Mograine-dono, I believe that Danzou may have been lying about training all of your soldiers," Hiruzen spoke, breaking the silence.

"How so?" Darion asked.

"This is just a hunch I had. But I think he's only looking for those with extraordinary strength or power. And if I'm right, he was referring to Naruto and Gaz."

"What makes you think that?"

"Well you know that Naruto has the Kyuubi sealed inside of him already, and you told me just the other day about Gaz's power with the Bloodreaper. I'm not sure if Danzou got wind of that information, but I think we should assume that he has. He wants anything with incredible power under his control because he can then probably use it to start a rebellion against me."

"Wait, slow down a second. Why would he want to rebel against you?" Naruto asked.

"Danzou and I go way back, Naruto-kun. We were rivals in our younger days and that rivalry grew stronger as we grew older. It was back before I became Hokage that Danzou decided to try and become Hokage as well. He didn't agree with my ideals and he wanted to be Hokage so as to keep Konoha the way it was back with the Shodaime Hokage. And when I became Hokage, he slipped into the shadows and started ROOT. I've had my suspicions about a rebellion because it started the night you were born."

"What does that have to do with anything?

"After the Kyuubi was sealed inside of you Naruto, both the shinobi and civilian councils had their opinions on what should happen to you. Many civilians called for your death out of fear and the shinobi council wanted to keep you protected by adopting you into one of the clans. That's when Danzou suggested the idea of raising you and I couldn't let that happen. He would have turned you into a weapon and many of the civilians were for his idea. So I denied it and that led to the decision with you being raised in the orphanage. The elders didn't want you in any clan and since I wouldn't let the villagers kill you, that was the end result."

Naruto ran his hands through his hair at the information and sighed heavily. Hiruzen's story about Danzou obviously overwhelmed him. Darion turned to Hiruzen and cleared his throat.

"So what's your plan to keep him in check?" Darion asked.

"I believe I can answer that," said a familiar voice.

Jiraiya entered the room via the window. He leaned against the wall and crossed his arms.

"Ah, Jiraiya, there you are!" Hiruzen greeted.

"Yeah, I'm here now, but I think we should tell him the plan." Jiraiya replied.

"So what is this plan exactly?" Naruto asked.

"We plan to bring back my old teammate, Tsunade."

"How's that going to help?"

"She's going to become the new Hokage."

"What? But I thought that…"

"I'm getting too old for this, Naruto-kun. During my fight with Orochimaru it made me realize that I'm not fit for this job anymore. If anything, Tsunade will definitely stop Danzou from making any moves," Hiruzen said, leaning back in his chair.

"Is there any particular reason it has to be her?" Darion asked.

"She's the granddaughter of the Shodaime Hokage and the grandniece of the Nidaime Hokage."

"Ah, and with her continuing your ideals and with the blood in her veins she'll have a lot of support." Darion finished.

"Precisely."

"So how do we find her?" Naruto asked.

"That's why I'm here, gaki. You and I are going to go look for her." Jiraiya replied.

"Okay, so you're dragging me on a mission to find this lady. What exactly is in it for me?" Naruto inquired.

"Well, if you don't want to go and learn a new jutsu on the way I can just take the Uchiha with me."

"That was low, Jiraiya." Hiruzen laughed.

"Okay, I'm in. When do we leave?" Naruto replied.

"Meet me at the gate in an hour, gaki. Don't be late."

Jiraiya exited through the window and Naruto followed shortly after. Darion took a seat in front of Hiruzen's desk and released a sigh. He really could go for some whiskey right now. Hiruzen cleared his throat to gain Darion's attention.

"So what do you want to do, Darion?" Hiruzen asked.

"I would like to ask you to have some of your top Anbu watching Danzou. The last thing I need is for him to try and get his hands on my soldiers," Darion said, shaking his hipflask.

"I can do that."

"Sounds good, Hokage-Sama."

"Why don't you go take a walk around the village before we continue our discussion? I still need to talk with Danzou."

"Very well. I'll be back in a couple hours."

Darion got up and exited the room. His head was aching and the only cure he had for it was whiskey.

* * *

Naruto arrived at the gates right on time. He was pretty excited that he was going on his first mission as a Chunin and he was going to learn a new jutsu. Grimes told him that he should enjoy the mission while he could because when Tsunade finished patching him up they were going back to hardcore training. Since he couldn't train any of them at the moment, Zara decided to pick up the roll as temporary sensei and train Gaz and Mac while Naruto was away. He was broken out of his thoughts as Jiraiya appeared beside him.

"Ready to go?" Jiraiya asked.

"Let's do this." Naruto replied.

The pair of them exited the village and began heading to a nearby town. There were rumors about a busty blonde haired woman gambling in the town so that was their first destination.

* * *

Nightfall came in Konoha and Danzou was currently walking down the hall of his hidden compound. He had just come back from his meeting with Hiruzen and he was not happy at all. Hiruzen had told Danzou that he was keeping a solid eye on him and that should he see any signs of ROOT operations he was going to be executed for treason.

He entered his office and closed the door behind him. Many seals activated as his door closed and he limped to his desk. Just as he was about to sit down, he felt the air around him becoming very cold. He could see his breath in and the flames of the lit candles were frozen. Danzou felt a presence behind him and it was very strong and sinister. The sheer power that the presence behind him was displaying was unbearable. He slowly turned around to search the dark room, only to find two neon wisp like eyes glowing brightly. Finally gathering his voice, he spoke up.

"Wh-who are you?" Danzou gasped.

**"My name is of no importance."** The voice replied.

Danzou made a hand sign to summon his hidden ROOT Anbu. Five Anbu appeared beside Danzou and stood ready to defend him.

**"I'm not here to fight. If I was, you would be dead by now."** The voice stated.

Danzou made another sign and his Anbu jumped at the entity before them. The being just chuckled and held out its hands and instantly froze all the ROOT Anbu in place. It proceeded by pressing its hands to the ground and muttering an incantation. The ground shook and one by one, each of Danzou's Anbu was pulled into the ground by some undead creatures. Danzou was petrified with fear at the power of the being in front of him.

"What do you want with me?" Danzou asked.

**"I think you and I can help each other."** The voice replied.

"How so?"

**"I give you the power of necromancy."**

"What do I have to do in return?"

**"Nothing yet, but when I find something of use for you to do then I'll let you know. So what do you say, Shimura Danzou?"**

"I accept."

The entity before Danzou gave a malevolent grin before placing its hand on Danzou's head.

**"Good."**

* * *

**Alright guys, that's the chapter. Remember to leave a review as always. And I'm sorry if this chapter was boring because of the insane amount of dialogue. So like I said, you can expect a new chapter with another two or two and a half weeks. I just ask you are patient because I've gotten PMs from other readers threatening me to update or they'll quit reading and some have gotten mad because it takes time for me to do it and I apparently don't meet the deadline they have scheduled for me.**

**Announcements:**

**1.) Don't forget about the new poll on my profile page, check it out and vote if you haven't!**

**I was asked by a reviewer if the ranks I used were for the Marines. In all honesty, I followed the Army ranks instead of the Marines. However, the Marines basically have the same rank structure but they have different titles for some of the ranks such as 'Lance Corporal' or 'Gunnery Sergeant' etc.**


	22. Itachi! Part 1

**Yo, CaptainPrice here with a slightly late update for Shinobi of the Ebon Blade. Hey guys, I know this is a couple days late, but I had an unexpected thing happen in the family. My Grandfather had a heart attack very early Thursday morning and that distracted me. Good news is he's all better and he is out of the hospital now. Anyway, I'm here and I'm honestly quite pleased with the amount of reviews I got for the story. Recieved over 15 reviews total, so let's try to continue to keep it up there. As always, read and review when done, I'd really appreciate it if you do that. Come on guys, I see the amount of hits for the chapters and I know there could be more reviews than I receive! And don't forget about the pole on my profile page if you haven't voted yet, I'll keep it up for another chapter or so before closing it so hurry up. So on with the chapter!**

**On a side note, as you all know, today is Memorial Day. I for one respect the men and women of our armed service and I salute you for the sacrifices you make to fight for your country. I honestly hope all of you appreciate what these men and women do to keep America safe. I for one am honored I'll have the opportunity to serve with you when I finish my ROTC training.**

**Bold- Inner Sakura/Kyuubi/Death Knight Attacks/Tsukuyomi World/Jutsu**

**Italics- Thoughts/Letters/Flashbacks/****Disclaimer: I do NOT own Naruto or World of Warcraft. I DO, however, own the OCs, the story, and the idea of the story itself.**

**Chapter Summary: With Naruto and Jiraiya out of the village in search of Tsunade, Konoha shinobi and civilian alike are currently working to restore it. However, another situation has come up in the form of a former shinobi from Konoha. Asuma, Kurenai and their fellow Jounin encounter the shinobi, but can they stop him?**

* * *

Two figures were overlooking the village of Konohagakure as it was being rebuilt from the unexpected attack. The first figure was tall and had a large two-handed sword strapped to his back. The other was short with black hair tied into a pony tail. The taller one turned to his partner with his usual shark like grin.

"So, how does it feel to be back?" He asked.

"Uneventful." The other replied.

They remained silent for a moment before the shorter one spoke again.

"Let's go, we need to find our target."

"Very well." The taller one replied.

They disappeared in a swirl of leaves.

* * *

Asuma and Kurenai were currently walking back from the Hokage's office. Both of them were briefed for the missions their teams would be working on for the next couple weeks. The two of them were going to meet up with Anko and Grimes at the local barbeque restaurant as a get together. As they were walking, they saw Kakashi standing by the bookstore reading his trademark Icha Icha book. He looked up at them and gave an eye smile.

"Ah, are you two out on a date?" Kakashi asked.

"No, we were going to meet up with Anko and Grimes at the barbeque restaurant." Kurenai replied.

"Come on, Kakashi. You already know Kurenai and I are just good friends." Asuma added.

Kakashi just gave a shrug and continued his reading. Kurenai gave a growl after seeing Kakashi resume his reading of the vile work. Asuma, not wanting to have tension, decided to speak again.

"Why don't you tag along, Kakashi? You never really talk with us during downtime."

"Well, I was going to train with Sasuke today, but I suppose I can be a little late." Kakashi replied.

"A little late my ass," Kurenai muttered under her breath.

"I'll meet you there in a bit. I need to get some money first."

Kakashi vanished after saying his bit and left Kurenai and Asuma alone. The two of them continued their walk to the restaurant. Neither of them noticed the two robed men in the restaurant nearby.

* * *

As Asuma and Kurenai were nearing the restaurant the wind picked up. As it died down, two figures appeared in front of them. Both of them were wearing black robes with red clouds on them. They also had bamboo hats on concealing their faces. Kurenai and Asuma immediately got ready to be on the defensive. Asuma's hand was resting on his belt by his trench knives and Kurenai was more than ready to pull a kunai out of her holster.

"Old acquaintances of yours?" the tall one asked.

"Yes. It's been a while, Asuma, Kurenai." The shorter one said.

Asuma and Kurenai's eyes widened for a second as they heard the man's voice.

_"What's he doing back here? Damn-it, this is not good!"_ Asuma thought.

The two men lowered their hats to reveal Hoshigake Kisame and Uchiha Itachi. Asuma and Kurenai knew they were in trouble against Itachi, but with Kisame being with him, things just got a lot more complicated.

"What are you two doing here?" Asuma asked.

"We're looking for the Kyuubi Jinchuriki," Kisame replied, his grin growing by the second.

"Why do you want him?" Kurenai asked.

"It's not us that want him, it's our employer."

"Kisame, enough. We're wasting time. The longer we stay here, the more ninja will come," Itachi said, not taking his eyes off his former comrades.

Asuma quickly charged forward and swung his trench knives at Kisame. Kisame, who was already waiting for action, blocked it with his blade. Asuma grit his teeth as he felt his feet sliding out from under him. Kisame's chakra and physical strength were at insane levels already which made him an S-ranked missing nin. Kurenai had finished landing the last sign for her genjutsu while Kisame was distracted with Asuma. She slowly vanished from sight and Itachi suddenly found himself bound to a tree. Kurenai slowly appeared from the tree above Itachi with a kunai drawn to stab him in the neck for the kill. Just as she was about to do it, Itachi looked up at her and she suddenly found herself bound to the tree instead.

_"What the hell? How did he do that?"_ Kurenai thought.

"That genjutsu won't work on me, Kurenai," Itachi said, bringing the kunai back.

Kurenai bit her lip hard enough to draw blood so she could break the genjutsu with the pain. Kurenai managed to break free and ducked just in time to avoid the fatal cut from Itachi's kunai. However, just as she ducked, Itachi thrust his foot at Kurenai. She blocked the kick but was launched off her feet and into the river below. There was a large splash as Kurenai sunk into the river.

"Kurenai!" Asuma yelled with concern.

"Heh, that didn't take long." Kisame said.

Asuma pushed Kisame off with whatever strength he could gather and gave a swipe with his knives. Kisame leapt back from the attack but his eyes widened briefly as he felt a stinging sensation on his face. Blood slowly trickled from the fresh cut on his face where Asuma cut him.

"You look surprised, but then again, that's what happens when you have a wind affinity," Asuma said as he jumped into the river after Kurenai.

Kurenai resurfaced from the river and coughed up water. She managed to regain her senses and channeled chakra into her feet to water walk. Itachi and Kisame now stood in the river in front of Kurenai and Asuma. They both leapt back however to avoid some shuriken that were thrown. Gai and Kakashi now stood in front of them as back up.

"Long time no see, Itachi," Kakashi said, resting his hand on his headband.

Itachi said nothing and continued to stare at Kakashi who now had his sharingan eye visible. Gai was keeping his eyes on Kisame since Kakashi was going to deal with Itachi. Kakashi watched Itachi as he slowly opened his eyes to reveal his sharingan which Kakashi knew was much more advanced.

"Asuma, Kurenai, don't look into his eyes! He can put you into a genjutsu without hand signs. Watch his feet when you fight him," Kakashi said, glancing back at them.

"I see you figured out a way to fight against a sharingan user, Kakashi. However…" Itachi said as his concealed hand instantly pulled out three shuriken.

Kakashi jumped back to avoid the attack but Itachi didn't move. This confused him for a second but then he saw the water ripple which made his eyes narrow. He quickly blazed through seals and landed the last one just in time to send his water dragon at Itachi's water dragon. The two jutsu collided and exploded in a shower of water. Kakashi looked up at Itachi in confusion since he didn't see Itachi move at all. He turned and saw a clone not too far away. Kakashi threw some shuriken at Itachi's clone which disappeared when it was hit. But when he turned back to look at Itachi, he found himself tied to a cross.

**_/Tsukuyomi World/_**

**"But how? I didn't even look into his eyes!" Kakashi muttered.**

**"I can cast genjutsu in more than one way, Kakashi. Think carefully," Itachi said as he appeared in front of him.**

**Kakashi scrunched his face in thought, then it hit him. When Itachi first drew the shuriken, it was the distraction. As soon as Kakashi looked at his fingers, the genjutsu was placed on him.**

**"You got me right when I looked at your hand when you pulled out the shuriken." Kakashi said as he glared.**

**Itachi gave a curt nod before pulling out a blade. Kakashi struggled against the binds on the cross to break free. Itachi merely shook his head as he looked at Kakashi's futile attempt to escape.**

**"Kakashi, this genjutsu you are in is one of the strongest in existence. It cannot be broken. This is known as Tsukuyomi and in this world, I am god. For the next seventy-two hours, I will stab you with my blade here." Itachi informed as he drove his blade into Kakashi.**

**Kakashi gave a sharp intake of breath when the blade penetrated his stomach. Itachi withdrew the blade and Kakashi opened his eyes to see two more copies of Itachi. Then all three of them stabbed Kakashi again, each one hitting a vital organ. The pain was intense as Kakashi struggled hard not to cry out in pain. He opened his eyes again to see over fifty copies of Itachi now.**

**"Seventy-one hours to go, Kakashi." Itachi's voice echoed.**

**_/Outside the Tsukuyomi/_**

Kakashi suddenly fell to his knees gasping for breath. He was shaking so bad he couldn't even stand up and was barely holding his chakra to water walk.

"Kakashi, what happened? You were talking one second and then the next you just hit the ground!" Asuma said.

"He caught me in a genjutsu with his finger." Kakashi panted.

"Damn-it, this is not good!" Kurenai hissed.

Gai was breathing heavily as he broke away from Kisame. He glanced back at Kakashi and noticed he was down for the count. He glared back at Kisame and was silently hoping there were other shinobi nearby to respond.

"Looks like you're all out of friends," Kisame said with his grin.

"I wouldn't be too sure of that," a voice whispered from behind.

Kisame turned around to come face to face with Grimes. Before he could react he found himself skidding across the water after being kicked in the chest. He lowered his blade and looked at the newcomer who was also wielding a blade. His grin widened a bit at finding another swordsman to fight against.

"Who the hell are you?" Kisame asked.

"I should be asking you the same thing." Grimes replied.

Grimes took a look at the situation before him and saw that Kakashi had his sharingan activated. Then his eyes fell upon the second man that was wearing the same robes as the swordsman in front of him. He also noticed that this man had the sharingan which put him on the defensive.

"Who are you?" Grimes asked looking at Itachi.

"My name is of no importance, but I've wasted too much time as it is." Itachi replied.

Itachi looked at Grimes' eyes and used Tsukuyomi. Grimes went stiff as a board and dropped his blade in the river.

**_/Tsukuyomi World/_**

**He blinked and found himself nailed to a cross. He began to struggle and growled in anger when he wasn't making any progress. The man appeared before him and shook his head.**

**"Just like Kakashi. You can't break free from this genjutsu, it's too strong. In this world I am god and I can do whatever I see fit." Itachi said looking at him.**

**"Well, you'll be here for a while then. I've survived worse torture." Grimes replied.**

**"It varies for different people. Now I'll take my leave. There is someone that wants to have a word with you."**

**"What are you talking about?"**

**"You'll find out soon enough. I'll be back in three days."**

**The man vanished leaving Grimes alone. He shook his head and attempted to get off the cross again. However, he sensed a presence in front of him and turned to face it. However, when he saw the person in front of him his eyes widened in shock and he felt the breath leave his body. In front of him was his old friend, Ellen Stanbridge.**

**"Ellen, what are you doing here?" Grimes asked.**

**"You killed me you son of a bitch!" Ellen yelled.**

**"I didn't want to! You told me to do it!"**

**"Ha, please! You were a mindless bloodthirsty soldier when the Lich King brought you back! I tried to reach out to you and it took me until now to realize how foolish I was to think there was still good in you!"**

**"That's not true, and you know it! I loved you, damn-it!"**

**Ellen fell silent for a moment and her mouth moved up in a malevolent grin. She pulled out her old blade from her time in the Argent Dawn and pointed it at his chest. Grimes felt tears building in his eyes, but refused to let them fall. He shook his head and reminded himself this was a genjutsu.**

**"If you loved me, you would have killed yourself the minute you drove that wretched blade of yours into me!" Ellen spat.**

**"Ellen, please, don't do this." Grimes begged.**

**Ellen plunged her sword directly into the same spot where the abomination stabbed him all those years back. Grimes opened his mouth in a silent scream and trembled in his binds. He let out a cry as Ellen twisted the sword and wrenched it out spilling blood over the ground. Blood trickled out of his mouth and he looked back at Ellen to see two more copies of her.**

**"Seventy-two hours remain." Itachi's voice echoed.**

**"How does it feel, Grimes? What you are going through right now is the pain I felt when you stabbed me!" Ellen yelled.**

**"Stop it," Grimes coughed as he felt himself growing angry.**

**"Stop? I'm just getting started, Grimes."**

**"Stop it!"**

**Ellen and her two copies drove their blades into Grimes again, making him scream in agony. He felt his rage building with each stab and his bloodthirst began to awaken. His eyes began to glow blue as his rage began to dull the pain.**

**"This is my last warning, stop it right now!" Grimes sneered.**

**"Did you stop yourself from killing me? You never cared if I lived or died, why should I stop what I'm doing right now?" Ellen retorted.**

**That did it. The old rage that was dormant in Grimes after the Lich King awakened him returned with full force. The world shimmered before vanishing completely and Grimes found himself standing in the river.**

**_/Outside Tsukuyomi/_**

He glared at the man before him who currently looked shocked.

"Impossible," Itachi muttered his eyes wide with shock.

He looked at the man before him and saw his eyes go from green to neon blue. When the man looked at him, he went on edge. This was the first time the Tsukuyomi was broken and that alone was a sign this man was not to be taken lightly. Grimes glared at him and summoned two sinister looking blades.

"You son of a bitch!" Grimes roared.

He dashed at Itachi with insane speed and swung both of his blades. Itachi ducked under the blades and attempted to sweep out Grimes' legs. Grimes jumped over Itachi's leg and gave a slash. Itachi just narrowly dodged the blades of the enraged man before him. He turned around just in time before Grimes was about to land and kicked up at his chin. His foot connected and sent Grimes up to the bridge's archway. Grimes' back slammed directly into the arch of the bridge. His blades vanished and he hacked up blood when he hit the bridge.

He fell and hit the water with a splash and sank. Kurenai dove under to save Grimes from drowning. With Gai and Asuma supporting Kakashi, Itachi used the opportunity to shunshin away with Kisame to avoid any other shinobi. Kurenai surfaced a few seconds later holding Grimes who was unconscious. Asuma helped pick Grimes up with Kurenai and nodded at Gai to show they were ready to move.

"How did Grimes break free from Tsukuyomi?" Gai asked.

"It's possible that the rage he released was the trigger. Itachi must have seriously pissed him off if he got that mad." Asuma replied.

"But that still shouldn't have been possible. Unless his necromancy had a hand in it then it is a good possibility."

* * *

The group arrived at the hospital and carried their two comrades inside. They set them on gurneys and the doctors wheeled them down the hall and out of sight. The hospital doors burst open and Anko and Hiruzen entered the lobby.

"What's happened?" Hiruzen asked.

"Uchiha Itachi and Hoshigake Kisame snuck into Konoha and we ended up fighting them. Itachi took out both Kakashi and Grimes." Asuma informed.

"Did they say why they were here?"

"They were apparently looking for Naruto." Kurenai replied.

"What do they want with Naruto?"

"I'm not sure, but Kisame said that their employer was the one who wanted Naruto. They were just the retrieval team."

"How long will it be before they can talk to us?" Anko asked.

"Well, Kakashi is conscious at the moment but in shock. And Grimes was knocked out during the fight. So I say give or take twenty minutes." Gai replied.

"What the hell was he thinking to go and fight with a messed up leg?"

"Aw, is Anko concerned for Grimes?" Asuma teased.

Anko's cheeks flushed a little bit at Asuma's teasing. She turned and gave him an irritated glare with the blush on her cheeks. She sputtered as she tried to come up with a retort.

"Well obviously I do, he's my friend!" Anko snapped.

Asuma held his hands up in surrender as Anko held her fist out towards him. She lowered it after taking a few deep breaths to calm herself. Hiruzen cleared his throat after Anko settled down to gain their attention again.

"I believe we should go and check on Kakashi and Grimes," Hiruzen said as he began to walk down the hall.

The other Jounin followed their Hokage towards the room that held their comrades. Once they entered, they were greeted with the sight of both Grimes and Kakashi knocked out on their beds. Hiruzen frowned at this since this was obviously more serious than he thought. Kakashi's visible eye cracked open which made Hiruzen hurry over to him.

"Kakashi, how are you feeling?" Hiruzen asked.

Kakashi didn't respond, he just lay there in a daze. He waved a hand over Kakashi's face to see if he could focus at all. He watched as Kakashi's eyes didn't even attempt to follow his hand.

"I'm sorry, Hokage-Sama. Kakashi can't really do much of anything right now. That genjutsu that was used on him was very strong. The shock he was suffering from was so bad we had to drug him to help him relax. And by doing that, he is now unresponsive. And the only one who is strong enough to help him is Tsunade-Sama." The doctor said.

"So you mean to tell me that unless Tsunade comes back, both Kakashi and Grimes are basically just vegetables?" Hiruzen inquired.

"To put it bluntly Hokage-Sama, yes. I'm sorry for the inconvenience."

The doctor left the room, leaving its inhabitants lost in thought. Anko went over to Grimes and rested his wounded leg on a pillow. The group was brought back from their thoughts when someone entered the room. They turned and saw Uchiha Sasuke standing in the doorway. He looked around the room with an irritated expression. He obviously was upset that he ended up having to come and physically look for Kakashi since he was very late for their scheduled training session. When he saw his sensei lying in the bed he frowned.

"What happened to Kakashi?" Sasuke asked.

"_Damn-it, this isn't good. He can't learn of Itachi's presence in the village or he'll try something rash._" Asuma thought.

As Asuma opened his mouth to speak, a random Chunin entered the room gasping for air. As he panted he huffed out his question.

"Is it… true that….Uchiha Itachi has returned to the village and he's looking for Uzumaki Naruto?" The Chunin gasped.

The Chunin looked around the room and noticed the glares he was receiving from the other Jounin. He then looked to his left and his eyes widened briefly when he saw Uchiha Sasuke standing there. And he just confirmed the rumor of Itachi being present in Konoha earlier.

"Idiot," Kurenai muttered as she watched Sasuke's fists clench.

Sasuke spun on his heel and dashed out of the room. Hiruzen cursed under his breath at the new situation that just formed. Somehow, as luck would have it, Ryuzaki Sanderson was walking by the room. He saw them and stopped to see what was going on.

"What happened in here?" Ryuzaki asked.

"No time to explain, Ryuzaki. I want you to go and stop Sasuke." Hiruzen replied.

"What for?"

"He's searching for a strong shinobi that killed some people close to him. I want you to stop him."

"Okay. Am I going to have back up?"

"I'll send one of the Jounin here after they rest up a bit, they had an encounter with that shinobi Sasuke is looking for."

"Alright, I'll bring the idiot back.

Ryuzaki shunshined out of sight after being assigned his task. Gai, Anko, Kurenai, and Asuma looked at Hiruzen with some concern.

"What's wrong?" Hiruzen asked.

"Was that wise to send Ryuzaki after Sasuke to stop him from finding Itachi? I mean, what if Ryuzaki finds Itachi and remembers him?" Asuma replied.

"He shouldn't, I asked Kakashi to keep an eye on Ryuzaki to observe him and see if he was acting strange lately. And Kakashi said that Ryuzaki was perfectly fine."

Asuma frowned at his father and bit his lip. He was hoping that Ryuzaki would not encounter Itachi at all. If he did and he ended up remembering him, he would without a doubt try to kill Itachi as well.

* * *

Ryuzaki was running to the village gate in pursuit of Sasuke. While he didn't care for Sasuke or the mission, something inside of him was telling him to do this. He sighed as he leapt to the trees and started heading to the town south of Konoha. As he leaped to the next branch, he felt his head give a violent pulse. The pain was so intense it almost caused him to lose his concentration and fall to the forest floor. Ryuzaki grabbed his head as his brain throbbed and his ears rang.

"_Do you think you can defeat me, Ryuzaki?_" a voice asked him.

"I can and I will!" Ryuzaki retorted.

He shook his head after he heard himself say that answer that echoed in his mind. He groaned in pain and shook his head. That voice he heard in his head a moment ago sounded familiar, very familiar. He wasn't sure why he was experiencing that, but he was going to ask Hiruzen about it when he got back.

* * *

**Alright guys, that's the chapter. I know it's pretty short, but I should hopefully have the next chapter up either later this week or sometime next week. Read and review as always guys please, I really appreciate the reviews. Overall, I hope this chapter was decent and I hope you all enjoyed it. Hope you all had a good Memorial Day and I hope you have a good week!-CaptainPrice**

**Personal Note: I wonder how people rate me as a writer...personally I believe I'm a mediocre one at that. **


	23. Itachi! Part 2

**Alright everyone, here's the next chapter for Shinobi of the Ebon Blade. Now I know this is late, but you know what it's summer and I'm trying to enjoy it as much as I can since I'm working basically every day and it just drains me to write. But, I finally got a chapter out so here you go. I ask that you read the Author's Note at the end of the chapter and humor me because it's important, (I know most of you won't since you just skip them to read or in this case 'skim' the story anyway). So yeah, here's the chapter and I hope you all like it. Read and review as always!**

**Summary: Jiraiya introduces the Rasengan to Naruto while they are on their way to Tanazaku city. Kisame and Itachi catch up to Naruto to take him to their leader. What Itachi isn't aware of is his little brother coming to give him a blast from the past. Meanwhile, in pursuit of Sasuke, Ryuzaki begins to unlock important memories from his past that may throw his mission for a loop.**

**Bold- Inner Sakura/Kyuubi/Death Knight attacks**

**Itallic-Thoughts/Letters/Flashbacks**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Naruto or World of Warcraft. I own the OC's (Grimes, Mac, Gaz, Walter, and Ryuzaki), the story, and the idea of the story itself!**

* * *

Naruto and Jiraiya were continuing their journey towards Tanuzaku City in search of Tsunade. From the information Jiraiya received from his spy network, Tsunade was moving from town to town gambling her heart away. And judging from the path he followed on the map, Tanuzaku City was her next stop. Naruto was glad he was on a mission for the first time in over two months and it felt nice to see the countryside as they walked. He turned to Jiraiya and cleared his throat to gain his attention. Jiraiya looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

"What is it, gaki?" Jiraiya asked.

"You wouldn't happen to have a picture of Tsunade would you? All I know about her so far is her bust size thanks to your perverted mind." Naruto replied.

"Hey kid, that's informative! No woman in the world has a bust size that big other than her."

"Not helping. Now are you going to give me the damn photo or not?"

"Alright kid, if you really need more information than that, here you go."

Jiraiya pulled out a worn photo, glanced at it and gave a perverted giggle. Naruto rolled his eyes and swiped the photo from his perverted teacher. Jiraiya gave a pout with the photo now out of his grasp, but smirked when he saw Naruto's face. In the span of three seconds, Naruto's face went from blank to aghast. He looked at Jiraiya, then back at the photo.

"There's no way in hell those things can be real. And I thought you said she was around your age?" Naruto said as he handed the picture back.

"Oh they're real kid, they're real. And she is around my age. She uses a powerful henge to change her appearance to take on her image when she was in her twenties." Jiraiya informed.

Naruto shook his head and they continued their walk. Not being able to stand the silence, Naruto decided to speak again.

"So what exactly is this jutsu that you're going to teach me?" Naruto asked.

"Ah, now you finally show your curiosity about the jutsu. But the technique I will be teaching you was last used by the Yondaime Hokage." Jiraiya replied.

Naruto stopped dead in his tracks. Jiraiya cocked an eyebrow at his student when he saw the surprised look on his face. Naruto was having a hard time trying not to grin widely. He couldn't hold it back anymore and gave a loud whoop in excitement. Jiraiya let a small smile spread across his face as he watched his student.

_"He's just like you…"_ Jiraiya thought.

"Well, come on Ero-sennin! Show me this awesome technique!" Naruto said as he rubbed his hands together.

"Alright, but while I do it I want you to tell me what you see as I perform the technique."

Naruto nodded and crossed his arms. Jiraiya held out his hand and Naruto could see some chakra beginning to appear in his hand. Naruto's eyes widened briefly at seeing pure chakra coming out and it reminded it him a bit of Sasuke's attack he tried to use on Gaara. The chakra began to take the form of a sphere and it was swirling in multiple directions. Jiraiya walked up to a nearby tree and thrust his palm into the trunk. There was a loud crack as the trunk exploded into splinters and the tree trunk now had a hole three feet deep and three feet wide embedded into its bark. Jiraiya turned to Naruto who was looking at the tree with surprise.

"So what did you notice?" Jiraiya asked.

"Well I noticed that the attack was pure chakra," Naruto began as he turned back to Jiraiya.

"Okay. And what was the next?"

"Well, I noticed that it was rotating all over the place, so I'm going to assume that you need to create a flow of chakra to make it rotate."

"That's the answer I was looking for, Naruto."

"So how should I practice it?"

Naruto held out his palm and began to concentrate. Jiraiya held up his hand to stop him.

"When I was learning it I found it best to use water balloons to practice creating the Rasengan because it helps with concentration and you can tell if the chakra is rotating." Jiraiya said as he turned around.

Naruto lowered his hand and hurried after Jiraiya. His mind kept on repeating the Rasengan smashing into the tree. While he was eager to master the Rasengan early, he knew that it would probably take a long time to learn the technique.

"How long did it take the Yondaime to create the Rasengan?" Naruto asked.

"It took him three years to create the Rasengan, Naruto. So don't expect to master it quickly like you did with the Toad Summoning." Jiraiya replied.

"I had a feeling you'd say that."

Jiraiya chuckled at Naruto's disappointment, but he had a feeling that Naruto would more than likely attempt to master the Rasengan as quick as possible. The two of them continued their walk to Tanuzaku City in silence, just enjoying each other's company.

* * *

Jiraiya and Naruto were now entering Tanuzaku City in high spirits. The street itself was bustling with people going to local market stands, restaurants, homes, and bars. Jiraiya felt a grin spread across his face as he saw a few strip clubs. His eyes fell on a woman standing across the street. The woman had long black hair that traveled down to her lower back. She was wearing a blue strapless dress and she was looking at the pair of them. Naruto noticed Jiraiya's distracted gaze and turned to see an attractive woman across the road.

"She's kinda cute." Naruto noted.

"Hey, Naruto, why don't you go get us a room in the hotel here? I'm going to stretch my legs." Jiraiya said.

"Why can't you… oh, I see. But what about the training?"

"We'll have plenty of time, now run along."

Jiraiya hurried across the road and began talking to the woman. Naruto sighed and shook his head as he entered the hotel. After renting out the room he trudged up the stairs with his and Jiraiya's bags. Finding the room, he opened the door and entered. He kicked the door shut and dropped the bags on the floor. Naruto began to wonder how long it would be before Jiraiya would help him with the Rasengan. He flopped down on the bed and looked at the ceiling.

Naruto closed his eyes and began to think about the Rasengan again. He took a deep breath and held his hand out and imagined it forming in his hand. A small grin spread across his face as he envisioned himself slamming the Rasengan into an enemy. However, as he thought about it, he began to wonder what would happen if he was to hit a person with the Rasengan. If the Rasengan would blow a hole into something strong, heavy and solid, then what would happen if he hit something light? His bet would be the object and or person would be sent airborne. He would have to ask Jiraiya about the extent of the Rasengan's power later.

Just as Naruto was about to close his eyes and take a nap, he heard a knock at the door. His face scrunched up and he buried his face in the pillow. Another knock came from the door making Naruto stand up.

"Get dumped already, Ero-Sennin?" Naruto asked as he walked to the door.

He stopped at the door and opened it. After rubbing his eyes he looked up at the visitor. There were two men standing before him. Both were wearing black robes with red clouds on them. One was holding a blade and the other looked like Sasuke, just older. Naruto looked into the eyes of the Sharingan wielder and noticed that the eyes looked more advanced than Sasuke's. The eyes immediately put Naruto on the defensive.

"Uzumaki Naruto, you're coming with us," said the Sharingan bearer.

"And if I refuse?" Naruto asked as his hand was about to pull out a smoke bomb.

"Then I'll just cut you to ribbons," the taller one replied as he rested his hand on his blade.

Naruto was grateful that the door was blocking his right side since it prevented the two of them from seeing his plan. He gave a nod before triggering the smoke bomb. There was a loud crack as the smoke bomb exploded on the ground. The smoke quickly filled the room and hall. Taking the chance, Naruto used the Kage-Bunshin and created a few clones. Two clones leapt out the door to distract the two men while Naruto climbed out of the window. Using his chakra, he ran on the wall to the other end of the building. He peered through the window to see if the men were still there. Just as he did that, a hand broke through the window and pulled him in.

Naruto was being held in the air by his throat and struggled to remove the swordsman's grip. The shark like man grinned as Naruto struggled and drove his fist directly into Naruto's stomach sending him down the hall. Naruto rolled across the floor and landed on his back. He rolled to the side and brough his hand to his chest to feel the damage. He couldn't hold back his breath and gave a hacking cough. A large glob of blood landed on the floor.

"How'd that chakra punch feel, brat?" the swordsman asked.

Naruto couldn't respond as he was trying to recuperate from the brutal punch. The swordsman pressed his foot down on Naruto's chest and swung his blade. Surprisingly the blade didn't cut him like it should have.

"While my blade can shred people to pieces, it also devours chakra. That's why you didn't feel pain. But I'm still tempted to cut you after that little trick you tried."

"Kisame, we only need to disable him. We're not to harm him." The shorter one said.

"You just have to kill the fun in everything don't you, Itachi?"

Itachi said nothing and motioned for Kisame to pick Naruto up. Kisame hoisted Naruto up by the shoulder roughly and Naruto gave a grunt as his shoulder was dislocated. Naruto's lips twitched in obvious discomfort from his shoulder which made Kisame smirk.

"I have to admit, brat. You have a decent pain tolerance." Kisame said.

Naruto ignored him as he was being pushed down the hall. The three of them were just about to turn the corner but stopped after feeling a presence behind them. Naruto's eyes widened briefly when he noticed the chakra. They turned around and saw Sasuke at the other end of the hall.

"I've been waiting a long time for this moment, Itachi!" Sasuke sneered.

"He looks a lot like you, Itachi. Who is he?" Kisame asked.

"He looks like me because he's my little brother." Itachi replied.

Naruto looked at Sasuke then back at Itachi. He finally put two and two together and realized this is the man that Sasuke wanted to kill. He was broken out of his thoughts when he heard a chirping sound. Sasuke was preparing the attack he attempted to use on Gaara back during the invasion before Ryuzaki disrupted it.

"I've done what you've said. I've grown to hate you and trained for this moment to kill you!" Sasuke yelled.

Sasuke finished charging his attack and brought it against the wall. He started to charge at Itachi dragging his hand across the wall bringing a trail of debris with it. He gave a roar as he was within range of Itachi and plunged his hand forward.

"Die!" Sasuke roared.

* * *

Ryuzaki just entered Tanuzaku city hot on Sasuke's tail. He was within range of Sasuke and about to stop him, but his head gave another violent pulse. He stumbled into the wall and held his head in pain. His ears began ringing loudly and it kept growing louder and louder. Ryuzaki fell to his knees then to his side.

_/Flashback/_

_ Ryuzaki was standing in the middle of the street in a housing district. Looking around, he noticed dozens of corpses in the road. He felt uneasy and sickened by the sight. Turning to his side he emptied the contents of his stomach on the ground. He wiped his lips clean and began to walk down the street to search the rest of the district. Ryuzaki sensed a chakra presence coming from a block away. He began sprinting to the street ahead, desperate to find the culprit._

_ Rounding the corner he saw a man dressed in ANBU gear. He pulled out his blade and began to walk up to the perpetrator. _

_ "Hey!" Ryuzaki barked._

_ The man turned his head and looked back at him. Red Sharingan eyes met his and Ryuzaki gave a gasp in shock. He took a couple steps back and gripped his blade tightly. The man turned around and looked at him with a passive expression. _

_ "Ryuzaki, what are you doing here at this hour?" the man asked._

_ "Itachi-Sensei, I, what have you?" Ryuzaki stammered. _

_ "I did this to test my ability, Ryuzaki."_

_ "You killed your own clansmen! What the hell is wrong with you?"_

_ "You've already witnessed too much, Ryuzaki."_

_ "So what, are you going to kill me too?"_

_ Itachi stayed silent as he looked at him. Ryuzaki felt sweat trickle down his face as he stayed alert for an attack. Itachi gave a small sigh and glared at Ryuzaki in warning._

_ "Ryuzaki, you're my only student and we've been through much together. You are a surrogate brother in my eyes. I am now giving you the opportunity to walk out of here alive. But if you come at me, I will not hesitate to end your life." Itachi stated._

_ Ryuzaki grit his teeth as tears filled his eyes. His sensei, his idol, killed his own clansmen and as of this point became a traitor to Konoha. Not only that, he was going to end his life if he did not leave the premises. Ryuzaki decided to do the only thing that Itachi told him to do if he came across the traitor of a hidden village. He knew it was suicidal but it was his duty as a shinobi._

_ Ryuzaki blazed through handsigns and shot out a giant fireball at Itachi. Itachi was taken aback when Ryuzaki decided to attack him. He kept a neutral expression as the fireball neared him._

_ "Damn-it, Ryuzaki." Itachi muttered._

_ Itachi slashed upward with his blade after filling it with chakra. The fireball dispersed, but Itachi saw a wave of lightning just feet in front of him. Itachi vanished in a shunshin and appeared behind Ryuzaki. Ryuzaki sensed Itachi behind him and swung his blade as he turned, trying to hit Itachi. However, it was not to be. Itachi parried the attack with his kunai. He took the chance and swiped Ryuzaki's blade from him. Itachi drove the blade straight through Ryuzaki's stomach. _

_ Ryuzaki's eyes widened in pain and he bent over a little and spat out some blood. He did his best to block out the pain and looked up into Itachi's red eyes. _

_ "Amateur techniques," Itachi began as he put his hand behind Ryuzaki's head. "Don't forget, you learned all your little tricks from me, Ryuzaki."_

_ Itachi flicked his wrist and twisted the blade in Ryuzaki's stomach making him cry out in pain. He removed the blade and Ryuzaki fell to the ground in a heap as blood began to pool around him. Itachi dropped the blade and looked down at his former student and watched as the life slowly drained from his eyes. Ryuzaki looked up at Itachi as he struggled to stay conscious. Just before he blacked out, he could have sworn he saw a tear trickle down Itachi's face._

_ /Flashback End/_

Ryuzaki pushed himself off of the ground and sat up against the wall. He took a couple of deep breaths as he began to wonder why all these suppressed memories were coming back to him. Tears began to well up in his eyes as he remembered that incident all those years ago.

"Goddamn-it, why is this happening to me?" Ryuzaki croaked.

He pulled himself up to his feet and began to move again but felt his head give a sharp stab of pain again. This time the pain was greater than it was earlier. He slouched against a nearby wall and held his head again.

"This pain is unbearable. Oh my god!" Ryuzaki cried.

His eyes rolled to the back of his head as he felt another memory coming back to him.

_/Flashback/_

_ Ryuzaki's eyes fluttered open and he realized he was surrounded by white. He could only think of two places where one would be surrounded by white. They were either dead and in heaven, or they were in the hospital. At this point, Ryuzaki was hoping it was the latter even though he hated the hospital. His head felt like a brick as he tried to lift it up and observe his surroundings. Sure enough, his eyes confirmed that he was indeed in the hospital and his stomach was wrapped in blood stained bandages. He remembered the incident with Itachi a couple days back and giving information about the Uchiha Massacre to the Sandaime when he found him. _

_ He heard voices coming from outside his door and began to eavesdrop on the conversation. He recognized the first voice as the Sandaime, but he couldn't determine the second one._

_ "Are you sure this is going to work, Jiraiya?" Hiruzen asked._

_ "It's not a matter if it will work or not, it's if it will be permanent." Jiraiya replied._

_ "What do you mean?"_

_ "The seal that I have can seal Ryuzaki's memories of the incident and Itachi, but there are two problems. The first problem is that I need to put it directly into the mind, so I will need Yamanaka Inoichi to take me inside Ryuzaki's mind. Once Inoichi helps me inside I can put the suppressing seal on. The second problem, however, is that the seal I have is a prototype and it hasn't been tested before. Ryuzaki will be the first test subject, so I don't know the extent of seal's power and lifespan."_

_ "So the seal can break at any time? And if it does, how badly can it damage Ryuzaki?"_

_ "Yes, the seal can break at any time. And if that happens, he could experience possibly a handful of side effects. But my main concern is if the seal breaks it would be like a damn bursting. All those memories that I will seal off can put a strain on his brain. The side effects with that could range from, death, a vegetative state, rage, or possibly insanity."_

_ The conversation fell silent and Ryuzaki felt his anger growing. Not only were they going to seal off his memory, they were doing this without his consideration and if what Jiraiya said is true, it could kill him. Ryuzaki heard enough and clambered out of bed. He noticed the window was open and he walked to it. Looking outside, he was glad he didn't have a high drop. The drop was about five feet off the ground, which was perfectly fine. He jumped out the window and rolled across the ground. He needed to get home and retrieve his gear. Ryuzaki decided to go after Itachi and build strength to take him down._

_ He began to run as best as he could to his apartment to start packing, but was intercepted by two ANBU. He cursed his stupidity about forgetting hospital surveillance. The ANBU moved closer to him which made him take a step back._

_ "Ryuzaki, you are not to leave the hospital at this time." The first said._

_ "Get away from me or so help me god I will kill you were you stand!" Ryuzaki shouted._

_ The ANBU moved forward to subdue him, but was caught off guard when Ryuzaki vanished in a shunshin. Ryuzaki appeared behind the ANBU and slammed his fist across the side of the man's head. He then grabbed the back of his shirt collar and slammed his head into the window knocking him out as the glass broke. The second ANBU went in and chopped Ryuzaki at the back of the neck knocking him unconscious._

_ "What's happening to you, Ryuzaki?" The second ANBU thought._

_ /Flashback End/_

Ryuzaki's eyes snapped open and his face scrunched up in anger. He took a couple deep breaths before releasing a ferocious roar. Pushing himself off the wall again he focused his senses to find Sasuke's chakra signature. His concentration was broken when a loud explosion echoed from a couple blocks away. Taking the chance, he jumped to the rooftops and started heading to the building that had smoke coming out of its side. He could feel Sasuke's chakra presence and he could also feel Naruto's. He wasn't sure what Naruto was doing out here, but then he picked up two other signatures. He didn't recognize one of them, but the second one made him growl. If his hunch was right, he was going to have a reunion with someone who almost killed him years ago.

* * *

Sasuke was panting and glaring with absolute hatred at his older brother. His brother had deflected his attack at the last second and disarmed it. The energy of his chakra created an explosion and destroyed part of the wall. He grit his teeth and struggled to escape his brother's vice grip. Itachi flicked his wrist and a loud crack signaled a broken wrist. Sasuke gave a loud cry of pain as his wrist throbbed in agonizing pain. He looked up at his brother only to be hit with a backfist. Itachi continued his assault by driving his knee directly into Sasuke's stomach. Sasuke was picked off the ground from the force of Itachi's knee, only to be sent spiraling down the hall by another backfist from Itachi.

"Heh, not one for mercy are you, Itachi?" Kisame chuckled.

Itachi didn't say anything and shunshined down the hall. He pinned Sasuke against the wall with his arm on his neck. Sasuke was dazed from the brutal attack and had a hard time trying to breathe since Itachi was crushing his throat.

"You still lack hatred, Sasuke." Itachi said.

"Shut-up!" Sasuke snapped back.

"I told you hate me, but you don't have enough hatred. And you know want to know something?"

Sasuke growled as Itachi smirked and brought his mouth by his ear. The next thing he whispered made Sasuke's blood boil.

"You never will," Itachi whispered before looking in Sasuke's eyes and activating his Mangekyou Sharingan.

Sasuke's eyes widened in horror at the next thing Itachi was about to do. He struggled to break free but it was futile as Itachi looked at him with his Mangekyou Sharingan.

"Tsukuyomi." Itachi muttered.

Sasuke screamed in terror as he was pulled into the recurring nightmare he had when he was younger. His brother was making him relive the massacre over and over again. Sasuke had to watch helplessly as he watched his brother killing their family over and over again. He gave another scream of terror before going limp. Itachi dropped his brother on the ground and observed the damage. Sasuke was sitting there with a blank expression and he was shaking badly. Itachi turned around and walked back down Kisame.

"Let's go before we attract any more attention." Itachi said.

"Yeah, yeah. Come on, brat, move!" Kisame barked as he gave Naruto a shove.

Naruto's eye twitched in pain and annoyance after Kisame shoved his wounded shoulder. Just as they were about to continue walking, a new presence entered the hall. Itachi's eyes widened in shock as he recognized the chakra signature. He turned around and his eyes fell upon his former student, Ryuzaki Sanderson. Naruto and Kisame turned around as well to see Ryuzaki holding his blade.

_"What's Ryuzaki doing here?"_ Naruto thought.

"Itachi!" Ryuzaki yelled.

* * *

Ryuzaki had entered the hall with his blade drawn. He glared at his old sensei with hatred and gripped his blade tightly. This time he would succeed in defeating Itachi, even if it killed him.

"Itachi!" Ryuzaki yelled as his chakra soared and became visible. The force of the chakra was so strong it cracked the walls and floor around him.

Ryuzaki looked Itachi in the eye and gave a growl. He swung his blade releasing a wave of fire. Itachi was already familiar with this attack and pulled out a kunai and some shuriken. After channeling some chakra through the kunai, Itachi swung his kunai up and dispersed the attack like he did all those years ago. He then sent the shuriken at Ryuzaki who pulled out some smoke bombs and parried the kunai with his blade. He dropped the triggered smoke bombs and made a couple clones. Ryuzaki did a shunshin and appeared directly behind Itachi.

Itachi turned and blocked Ryuzaki's strike but was now exposed to the barrage of kunai coming from behind. He ducked low and attempted to sweep Ryuzaki's legs out. Ryuzaki jumped in the air and over his kunai. The kunai continued towards Kisame and Naruto. Kisame raised his blade and the kunai bounced off of it. Naruto took the chance and did a shunshin to appear on the other end of the hall by Sasuke.

"Kisame, get Naruto!" Itachi barked.

Kisame nodded and ran towards Naruto. He brought his blade back and swung as he ran through the smoke, destroying Ryuzaki's clones. Naruto struggled to make the final handsign in his attack.

"Fuuton: Renkuudan!" Naruto hollered as he fired a wind bullet at Kisame.

Kisame was caught off guard and brought his blade up to absorb the blow. But to his surprise, he was blasted off his feet from the attack. Kisame managed to land properly, but he still took a good hit from the attack. He gave a feral growl as he glared at Naruto.

"Damn-it, brat! I'm going to slice you to pieces!" Kisame hissed.

Ryuzaki and Itachi were currently in a fierce battle of blades. Itachi was using his old blade from his time as an ANBU to take on Ryuzaki. The two of them locked blades again and tried to overpower each other.

"You've gotten better, Ryuzaki. But it's still not good enough." Itachi taunted.

Ryuzaki growled and pushed Itachi off before giving a quick slash. Itachi back flipped away but not fast enough. Ryuzaki managed to leave a small cut across Itachi's cheek. Itachi wiped his cheek clean with his fist and activated his Mangekyou Sharingan. Ryuzaki looked at Itachi's feet to avoid looking at his eyes.

"Just like Kakashi, you figured out a strategy to fight the Sharingan." Itachi noted.

Ryuzaki threw some more kunai at Itachi and charged at him again. Itachi blocked the kunai with ease and parried Ryuzaki's blade again. He kicked up with his foot and disarmed Ryuzaki. He punched Ryuzaki in the stomach making him hack up blood. Ryuzaki stumbled back but clutched his throat after Itachi hit him with a knife hand strike. He blocked Itachi's blade with his arm and cried out in pain. The blade went straight through his bicep rendering it useless. Itachi hit Ryuzaki in the stomach with a thrust kick sending him into the wall.

Ryuzaki clutched his arm and cursed himself for failing again. Itachi walked up to Ryuzaki and pointed his blade at his chest.

"While it was nice seeing you again Ryuzaki, I'm letting you know now we will not be having a third meeting. Your skill has improved a bit, but it's not enough. I will kill you here and now." Itachi said.

He was about to stab Ryuzaki in the chest but stopped when he felt another chakra signature coming towards them. This time he knew that he and Kisame would have to retreat and try to retrieve Naruto at a later date. There was a loud crack as Jiraiya appeared with the woman draped over his shoulder unconscious. Kisame looked back at Jiraiya and grit his teeth in frustration. He shunshined back over to Itachi and the moved down the hall a little bit.

"Going somewhere?" Jiraiya asked.

"What took you so long?" Naruto demanded.

"I was distracted, gaki."

Jiraiya turned and saw Itachi and Kisame looking at him. Kisame showed obvious irritation and Itachi looked passive as usual. Jiraiya set the woman down next to Ryuzaki who was currently trying to nurse his arm. He gave a glare at the two of them and pressed his palms on the ground. The hall they were standing in turned pink and flesh like. Ryuzaki and Naruto began to look around in surprise and were about to move.

"Don't move. We're currently inside a toad's stomach, just stay by me and don't move." Jiraiya informed.

"Kisame, we're going." Itachi muttered.

"But what about the kid?" Kisame asked.

"We can't take on a sanin, Kisame. We'll have to capture Naruto on a different day."

Kisame gave one last look at Naruto before giving a grunt. Itachi and Kisame turned down the hall and began running towards a nearby window.

"They're getting away!" Ryuzaki yelled trying to stand up.

"Stand still, Ryuzaki. They won't make it out of this technique. It will trap them in the stomach of the toad and kill them." Jiraiya replied.

Itachi and Kisame were about to be closed in by the flesh. Itachi closed his eyes and opened them muttering only one word.

"Amaterasu." Itachi whispered.

There was a loud boom as the wall exploded in front of Itachi and Kisame leaving pitch black flames. The two of them hopped across the rooftops and towards the city gate. Kisame turned back to Itachi and noticed he still had his Sharingan activated.

"Itachi, you know you shouldn't have your Sharingan activated all the time. You should take a rest." Kisame said.

"You're right." Itachi replied.

Itachi deactivated the Sharingan and his eyes immediately felt sore. The two continued their retreat to their rendezvous point in wind country.

* * *

Jiraiya dispelled the technique and Naruto and Ryuzaki quickly ran in the direction Itachi and Kisame went. They were stopped when they saw black flames burning all over the hall. Naruto walked closer to inspect the flames but stopped when he heard Jiraiya call his name.

"Naruto, do not touch those flames! They'll kill you instantly." Jiraiya warned.

"What the hell is this fire?" Naruto asked.

"These flames are from a technique called Amaterasu. A very powerful ocular technique the Uchiha clan knows, but very few of them could perform it. Those flames are eternal and will burn anything upon contact. Stand back so I can seal them."

Jiraiya pulled out a scroll and began sealing the fire away. Naruto looked back at Ryuzaki who was looking off into the distance. Ryuzaki was furious and he slammed his good fist against the wall.

"Damn-it, he got away!" Ryuzaki hissed.

"He was out of your league regardless, Ryuzaki." Jiraiya cut in.

"I had to try!"

"You were going against your former sensei who happens to be a missing nin with an S-Rank title in the bingo book. I'm pretty sure you could have figured out the outcome you dumbass!"

"Who are you to tell me that?"

"I'm Jiraiya of the Sanin."

There was a long pause after Jiraiya introduced himself to Ryuzaki. When Ryuzaki's eyes widened and he stopped talking he assumed it was out of surprise. Jiraiya was wrong. No sooner had he said that, Ryuzaki's chakra spiked as he began to walk towards Jiraiya.

"You're the bastard who sealed off my memories!" Ryuzaki yelled.

Jiraiya's face became serious as he looked at Ryuzaki. The seal must have finally broken and the whole fight with Itachi must have been a side effect of Ryuzaki's memories and anger. He gave a nod to confirm Ryuzaki's statement. Ryuzaki growled and jumped at Jiraiya.

"I'm going to kill you!" Ryuzaki spat.

Jiraiya caught Ryuzaki by the shirt and slammed him into the wall. He put him in the sleeper hold and knocked him out. Naruto looked back at Jiraiya then at Ryuzaki.

"What was that all about?" Naruto asked.

"I'll tell you at a later date, Naruto. Right now I need you too…" Jiraiya began but didn't finish.

"Dynamic Entry!" Gai cried.

His foot smashed directly into Jiraiya's face and sent him to the ground. Gai's face quickly went from triumphant to 'oh shit' when he realized who he hit. Jiraiya sat up and rubbed his jaw after giving Gai a heated glare.

"Uh, hehe, sorry about that Jiraiya-Sama." Gai said sheepishly.

"What are you doing here?" Jiraiya asked.

"Sandaime-Sama sent me here as back up for Ryuzaki, but I guess I'm too late. For that I shall run one hundred laps around Konoha as punishment for my unyouthfulness!"

"Oh for Christ's sake we don't have time for this. Gai, I need you to take Sasuke and Ryuzaki back to the hospital. Both of them got in a fight with Itachi. Sasuke was hit with the Tsukuyomi and Ryuzaki was stabbed through his right arm."

"Yosh, I will do that!"

Gai ran down the hall and picked up Sasuke before coming back down and picking up Ryuzaki as well.

"And Gai, tell Hiruzen that Ryuzaki remembers. He'll know what that means." Jiraiya informed.

"Very well, take care." Gai replied.

Gai jumped out of the hole in the wall, hopped across the rooftops and out of sight. Jiraiya gave a sigh and looked at Naruto who was holding his right shoulder.

"What happened to your shoulder?" Jiraiya asked.

"Kisame dislocated it. So if you don't mind, I'd appreciate it if you'd pop it back in place." Naruto replied.

Jiraiya nodded and walked back over to Naruto who pressed his left hand against the wall. He twitched again when Jiraiya put his hand on his shoulder.

"Alright, on three," Jiraiya said as he gripped Naruto's bicep. Naruto nodded and awaited the pop.

"One," Jiraiya said as he popped Naruto's shoulder back in.

Naruto gave a startled cry as his shoulder throbbed in pain from being popped back in. He brought his right hand up and rubbed it over his head. Jiraiya chuckled at Naruto's silent pain.

"You ready to find a new hotel?" Jiraiya asked.

"Yeah, let's go," Naruto said as he began to walk down the hall to their room.

* * *

**Alright guys, that's the chapter and I hope the wait was worth, if not, well... shit. Anyway, I'll try to update as soon as I can so I'm not making any promises on how soon it'll be, it takes time, I have a life too. Anyway, read and review as always,(Not all of you are but still, say something guys, I don't think it'll kill you to take thirty seconds to write something). Well that's all I had for you so take a look at the bottom of the note here for the stuff I was telling you about at the top author's note. See you next time!-CaptainPrice**

**CaptainPrice's Announcements/Do's and Don'ts**

**1.) First thing I would like to say is I've closed the poll to the next story I'm writing, so congratulations to those who voted for it. 'ANBU: Earned in Blood' will be the next story I write after I finish some of my others.**

**2.) Questions for the story. Okay, now I've gone back to read reviews like I always do because I like to see what people think. And I've come across people who ask me questions, both author and anonymous (I don't give a rats ass how you spell it so bite me!) If you want to ask me a question make an account and activate your PM so I can respond to you. I had one reviewer asking about the Bloodreaper and I couldn't answer him about the Bloodreaper because his PM was off. So send me a PM if you want to discuss the story. (For the answer about the Bloodreaper, which I'm sure you're not reading right now anyway, but no, the Bloodreaper is not, I say again is NOT stronger than Kyuubi by any means. The Kyuubi could mop the floor with the Bloodreaper, but it's still a strong demon. So I'm sorry if you don't like the Bloodreaper, but that's not my problem.)**

**3.) Reviewing. Okay, I know I'm coming off as a whiney bitch on this one, but seriously guys, I'm not asking you to cut off a limb, I'm not putting a gun to your head either, but come on, I've seriously considered to stop writing because not a lot of people review. I mean I don't think it'll kill you to take thirty seconds and write something.**

**4.) Story shout outs! Yup, I have a story that I would like you readers to check out. The story is called 'Changes' by Mash Tactics. It's a World of Warcraft story set in modern day. He could use some reviews and constructive criticism guys. I only ask you be nice since it's his first story and he already knows he made mistakes. So be easy on him with some of the stuff you might say. The story starts off slow and has some holes at first but it gradually gets better, trust me. Whenever he updates I'm always eager to see the next chapter, so go check it out guys, give him a hand! **


	24. Bet Your Bottom Dollar

**Hey guys, CaptainPrice here with another update for Shinobi of The Ebon Blade. First off just as an announcement I am officially back in college and starting my sophomore year so I may be restricted to updating but I'll do it when I get the time. As always, read and review and be sure to check out the authors note at the bottom of the chapter! So sit back and enjoy!**

**Warning: This chapter may seem slightly unlikely, IE Tsunade getting hurt against Naruto in the small fight they have. But if you look at it at a realistic standpoint in this story it would make sense. I tried to stick to the Rasengan training like it did in the Manga but I think I messed it up a little bit. But anyway, don't let that stop you from reading please.**

**Bold-Inner Sakura/Kyuubi/Death Knight attacks/Justu**

**Italics-Thoughts/Letters/Flashbacks**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Naruto or World of Warcraft. I DO however own the OCs (Grimes, Gaz, Mac, Ryuzaki, Walter), the story and the idea of the story itself.**

* * *

Naruto and Jiraiya were exiting the room of their relocated hotel. Jiraiya looked down at his student and noticed he was in deep thought about something. He had a good hunch on what it was and decided to ask him.

"What's wrong?" Jiraiya asked.

"Back there in that fight… I froze up." Naruto replied.

"Well don't let it happen again."

"That was the first time I ever froze up against an opponent."

Jiraiya stopped and looked at him with some surprise.

"What do you mean that was your first time? Surely you froze up before in a fight before?" Jiraiya inquired.

Naruto shook his head and looked Jiraiya in the eyes.

"No, that was the first time. Before I became a shinobi, I learned to control my fear before going into a fight against an enemy. When I was training with the Death Knights they taught us how to control fear and face it. I know because for my test against fear, I had to confront the Kyuubi in my mind." Naruto informed.

Jiraiya crossed his arms as he looked at Naruto. He was intrigued with the training and thought it was quite brilliant to do that because it taught someone how to remain calm in an encounter with an enemy. Although he was a little confused as to why Naruto would be scared of Itachi and Kisame. For as long as Jiraiya had known Naruto, the kid managed to talk evenly against Gamabunta when he summoned him for the first time and he also took down the Shukaku Jinchuriki. After all he's done one would think he wouldn't be afraid of anything for that matter.

"So what made Itachi and Kisame so intimidating to you?" Jiraiya asked.

"It's not that they were intimidating, because I did fight against them to try and get away. I already knew I was out of my league with two S-Rank shinobi in front of me. But I honestly think it was the fact I was rendered helpless after Kisame disabled my chakra with his blade." Naruto replied.

"But you have the Kyuubi's chakra as a secondary source. I thought you would've considered using it as a defensive strategy."

"I don't take pride in using power that isn't mine. Besides, I didn't think it would last long because of Kisame's blade. They would have noticed me drawing on its power."

"I guess you have a point there. Because if you did use too much of Kyuubi's power it could consume you. You have a certain limit of Kyuubi's chakra you can summon before you lose sight of who you are. My guess is you have the skill to use one tail at the most."

"So it is possible for me to control more tails of Kyuubi's power?"

"Yes, but it will take practice."

Naruto nodded and began to think of the power he could have under his control. Kyuubi had given him some information on the tails of chakra, but it wasn't with extensive detail. He looked up and noticed that he and Jiraiya were currently standing in front of a vendor that was selling water balloons. The merchant looked up at them and gave a small smile in greeting.

"What can I do for you, sir?" The man asked.

"I would like to buy some balloons from you, my good man," Jiraiya said as he pulled out his wallet.

"Ah, a nice little father son day?"

"You can say that."

"Father son day? More like old fart and boy." Naruto muttered.

Naruto felt Jiraiya's foot stomp on his and he grinned a little on the inside. The merchant laughed and handed Jiraiya a tub of water balloons. He thanked the man and began walking towards the city gate. Naruto thought back to Jiraiya's response to the vendor's question on father son bonding and felt a small smile spread across his face. Grimes was more of a brother figure than a father figure to him and now that he heard Jiraiya's response, he felt happy at having another precious person enter his life.

"Thanks, Jiraiya-sensei." Naruto said.

"For what?" Jiraiya asked.

"That little father son comment meant a lot to me. I've never had anyone I could call a father figure."

"What about Grimes?"

"Grimes is more of surrogate brother. You I can see as a father figure."

Jiraiya smiled a little bit and clapped Naruto on the back. As he did that, he realized that Naruto had actually addressed him as sensei.

"Hey, you called me sensei!" Jiraiya smirked.

"Don't get comfortable with it. You're still Ero-Sennin to me!" Naruto replied.

Naruto felt something hit the top of his head and he was completely soaked. He shook his head and saw Jiraiya was currently running away from him. Naruto pulled out the remains of the water balloon from his hair and shook his head.

_"And he calls me brat."_ Naruto thought.

* * *

Naruto had caught up to Jiraiya and observed the area around him. Very spacious and it had a good view over the village. Jiraiya placed the balloons beside Naruto to get his attention. He pulled out an ink brush and grabbed Naruto's hand. He drew a small circle on Naruto's palm and stood back. Naruto looked up and Jiraiya who nodded at the balloons.

"So you want me to focus my chakra towards the circle on my hand?" Naruto asked.

"Yes, this will help with your concentration and guidance to complete the first step of the training." Jiraiya replied.

Jiraiya reached into the tub and pulled out a balloon. He tossed Naruto the balloon and picked another out of the bin. Naruto placed the balloon in his palm and looked at Jiraiya for the next step.

"Okay, now watch closely," Jiraiya said as he channeled chakra to his hand.

Naruto watched with fascination as the water in the balloon began to churn. The balloon began to expand all over and suddenly it popped. Jiraiya nodded at Naruto to attempt the process. Naruto took a deep breath and looked at the balloon in his hand. He began to focus and channel his chakra to his palm. Just as he did that, the balloon sprung a leak and deflated. Naruto retrieved a new balloon and began to try again. This time, however, the balloon exploded and soaked him once again. Jiraiya grinned and sat down against the tree. He watched time and time again as Naruto attempted the step. He chuckled a little bit when Naruto began to show signs of frustration.

"Okay, what's the trick?" Naruto asked.

"There's no trick to it, Naruto. You're just not doing it properly. Now if you excuse me, I'm going to head back." Jiraiya replied.

"Hey, wait! What if I need help with something?"

"Learn to stand on your own two feet, Naruto. There's going to be a lot of instances where you'll have to rely on yourself. Keep on practicing and come back to the hotel when you finish popping all the balloons."

With that, Jiraiya turned on his heel and descended down the hill and out of sight. Naruto let out a sigh and reached for another balloon. He began to channel his chakra again, only to be met with the same thing as last time. Naruto picked up a balloon and hurtled it into the air in frustration. He decided to take a break and sat in the grass and looked at the clouds.

_"What the hell am I doing wrong?"_ Naruto thought.

**"Maybe you should think about this for a second, Naruto."** Kyuubi spoke.

_"Okay, what do you suggest I do?"_

**"Think about it for a second. Remember back in the academy when you couldn't perform the Bunshin?"**

_"Don't remind me. Anyway, what does that have to do with anything?"_

**"Do you remember why you couldn't properly do the Bunshin?"**

_"It's because I… oh Goddamn-it! It's because my chakra capacity was too large."_

**"Precisely. Now I'm sure you can put two and two together here."**

Naruto stood up and picked up another balloon. Maybe just attempting to channel the chakra wasn't enough. Naruto began to pump his chakra into the balloon again, but this time he began to divert chakra into his free hand. He placed his free hand over the water balloon and began to pump chakra into it from the top. The water began to swirl clockwise before popping. Now he was getting somewhere. Naruto repeated the same thing again and again, each time managing to rotate the water in the balloon before it popped, but it still was going counter clockwise. Naruto looked back at the bucket and found only three balloons left. He had spent four hours popping the balloons and was feeling exhausted. Gathering another water balloon, Naruto started the process again. This time, he began to move his hand all around the ball to see what would happen. To his amazement, the water began to rotate both directions. He stopped and started again to see if he could do it again. A grin spread across his face as the water began to rotate all over the ball until finally it popped open.

_"Hey, Kyuubi. I think I just figured out the first stage."_ Naruto thought.

**"I know, I was watching the whole time. But don't forget that there are still two more stages and I'm sure it's going to get more difficult."** Kyuubi replied.

_"How much harder?"_

**"I'm not sure, but depending on the difficulty it could result in you having to find a new way to perform the next stage. I'm not saying it will, but keep that in mind."**

Naruto nodded mentally and looked at the last two balloons. He picked them up and began to head back towards the hotel. It was time to show Jiraiya what he had accomplished.

* * *

Naruto entered the room and found Jiraiya sprawled out on his back. He noticed the empty bottle of sake and the open window. He shuddered at the thought of Jiraiya making love to a woman younger than him. Pulling out a water balloon, he held it directly over Jiraiya's head. Smirking, he started to perform the technique and after a couple seconds the balloon exploded and dumped the ice cold water on Jiraiya's face. Jiraiya bolted upright and began to sputter from the surprise wake up call. He turned and gave Naruto a glare and was met with a triumphant smirk.

"What do you want?" Jiraiya grumbled.

"I did it." Naruto replied.

"What do you mean you did it?"

"How can I explain this to you any clearer? I did it. I completed the first phase."

Jiraiya blinked and cocked an eyebrow in interest. Turning around he pointed at the last balloon for Naruto to pop. Naruto held out his hand and performed his method for the first stage. Jiraiya watched as the water in the balloon began to move in all directions before popping. He looked at Naruto with a smirk of his own. This boy never failed to amaze him and it reminded him a lot of his old student.

"I'm impressed. To be honest, I didn't think you would progress through the first stage that quick. I would have guessed at least two weeks at the most, but you did it in one day." Jiraiya informed.

"I have to uphold my statement, remember? I said that I'd master this in a month." Naruto replied.

"Don't get too full of yourself, Naruto. It'll go to your head. Besides, you have to do the next stage which I will tell you now is a lot harder than the first."

"Bring it on, Ero-Sennin."

Jiraiya admired Naruto's enthusiasm and attitude towards the training. He wouldn't be too surprised if Naruto actually did master the Rasengan in less than a year at the latest. But depending on how phase two would work for Naruto, it could be a slight setback for him.

"So did you happen to find any information on Tsunade or were you too busy with your lady friend from earlier?" Naruto asked.

"What do you take me for, gaki?" Jiraiya challenged.

"Depends on your answer."

"Well if you really want to know, I did do some digging with my spy network and I heard that there was a high chance she would be in the casino on Friday trying to gamble a considerable amount of money."

"So we'll confront her then?"

"No, we'll talk to her when she drinks herself silly after losing. It might be a little easier to persuade her to come back."

Naruto nodded and fell back on his bed closing his eyes. Reflecting on his day, he completed the first stage of the **Rasengan** and he was on top of the mission Intel in regards to finding Tsunade. This had turned out to be a prolific and successful day.

"Might as well get some grub and hit the sack, gaki. You need to be in condition tomorrow when we start the second stage of the **Rasengan** training," Jiraiya said standing up and walking over to him.

"Aw man, just let me sleep I'm drained." Naruto groaned.

"Nope, now get up. You'll get all the sleep you desire after eating some ramen."

"Okay, I'll do it for the ramen, but if I fall asleep you have to carry me back."

* * *

As the week went on, Naruto felt himself being pushed harder than he could recall. The second stage of the **Rasengan** training was proving to be more challenging than the first. It was similar in regards to the first stage, but instead of water balloons it shifted to rubber balls. Naruto had been growing more irritated with each passing day. His hands would be aching with pain from all the chakra he had used and he had to start wrapping them up with bandages to repress the pain. Just like before, he managed to get the chakra in the rubber to move but it wouldn't burst like Jiraiya's, it would just deflate from a small leak.

Jiraiya had taught Naruto for the next stage for the **Rasengan** he would have to create an imaginary layer of chakra to contain the rotating chakra and compress the chakra in that layer. But no matter how hard Naruto tried, he couldn't do it and it was starting to drive him insane. Naruto fell to his knees and slammed his fist against the ground in frustration.

"What the hell am I doing wrong?" Naruto asked himself.

"Naruto, you need to have patience. I told you this was going to get harder. Now get up, we're going back to the city. I'm sure Tsunade is probably drinking in a bar somewhere." Jiraiya replied.

Naruto let out an exasperated sigh before standing up. He took a couple deep breaths to calm down and walked over to Jiraiya. Jiraiya clapped him on the shoulder in support. Naruto was getting close to completing the second stage and he knew how he could complete it, but he wanted Naruto to figure it out for himself and he was positive he eventually would.

"You'll get it, Naruto. You're not too far from finishing the second stage, so don't get discouraged. You've come a long way during the training and I'm proud of you. So don't get so down about it." Jiraiya said.

Naruto gave a disgruntled grunt in reply as they walked into the city. Jiraiya knew there were countless bars in the district and that Tsunade would more than likely be in one of them. Spotting the closest bar he nudged Naruto and nodded at it. They walked towards the bar and entered. Both of them kept their eyes peeled for the busty blonde but they couldn't see anyone resembling her. Just as they were about to leave, Jiraiya spotted her gulping down a shot of tequila. He waltzed over to her table and stopped a couple of feet away.

"It's been a long time, Tsunade." Jiraiya greeted.

"What the hell? Jiraiya? What are you doing here?" Tsunade asked.

"Looking for you. Guess it's my lucky day."

Jiraiya sat on the opposite side of the booth and Naruto sat next to him. Naruto glanced at Tsunade and couldn't help but be amazed by the genjutsu she used. If this is what she looked like all those years ago, she was more than likely chased after by every guy. He noticed her face was slightly red from the alcohol she consumed and wondered how much she had to drink. He was willing to be she was probably buzzed at the most if what Jiraiya said was true about her having a high alcohol tolerance. It was then that Naruto noticed that there was another woman sitting beside Tsunade.

She had short black hair and was wearing a black battle kimono. Naruto had guessed she was Tsunade's assistant or bodyguard. The thing that made him take note of her was the pig she was holding. He wasn't quite sure why the woman was holding a pig and decided to let the thought go. Naruto leaned back and looked at the ceiling as he listened to Jiraiya and Tsunade talking.

"So why are you here, Jiraiya? I know you're not here to shoot the breeze." Tsunade inquired.

"What makes you think that?" Jiraiya asked as he slipped her some cards.

"I've known you for years, and you never come find me unless it is in concerns the village. So I'll ask you again. Why are you here?"

Jiraiya gave a sigh and leveled a stern gaze at Tsunade.

"Then I'll cut to the chase. The village wants you to become the next Hokage." Jiraiya replied.

Tsunade was silent and Naruto noticed her grip on the cards tighten a little bit. Obviously she wasn't happy with the news that Jiraiya presented her with and was getting angry.

"Why can't you do it?" Tsunade shot back.

"You know that I have a spy network that I have to maintain. And besides, I'm not the one with the blood of two Hokage's flowing through her veins. You're the only one who has the potential to be Hokage out of the two of us." Jiraiya stated.

The pair of them went silent again and Tsunade drew another card from the deck on the table. She looked at the card then peered over them to look Jiraiya in the eye.

"I refuse the position. Get someone else to do the job." Tsunade said.

"There is no one else. The Sandaime is the only one who can and he's already too old for this, Tsunade. The only other option would be Danzou and you know as well as I do what he will do if he gets that position." Jiraiya added.

"Well, he's a fool. I want no part of that village anymore. Being Hokage is a job for fools."

Naruto's eyes immediately narrowed in anger and he brought his gaze down to look at Tsunade subtly. This woman was walking a dangerous line with those insults and he was more than willing to drill some sense into her if she continued.

"So you're calling our teacher a fool for protecting what he believes in?" Jiraiya asked.

"Yes I am. All of the Hokage's are fools. Three of them died protecting that village and lost their dreams. You should know what I'm talking about since your student was one of them."

Naruto saw Jiraiya's face harden at that jab and he too was growing angry. His hands became fists and his knuckles cracked.

"My student was not a fool, Tsunade. He was noble and it took courage for him to do what he did!" Jiraiya snapped.

"Courage? Please, his sacrifice was more than likely one of the most foolish things I remember anyone doing. The Yondaime was a fool, the Sandaime is a fool, the Nidaime was a fool and the Shodaime was a fool!" Tsunade hissed.

Naruto had enough. He looked at Tsunade and released all the killing intent he could as he glared at her. He finally got her attention and he glared at her with absolute loathing. Tsunade for her part felt the killing intent and noticed the boy beside Jiraiya glaring at her with anger.

"Who's the brat?" Tsunade asked.

"He's my student, and a damn brilliant one at that." Jiraiya jabbed back.

"He doesn't look too bright to me. What's his name?"

"Uzumaki Naruto."

Tsunade's eyes narrowed a little bit as she glanced at the boy in front of her.

"He looks just like your last fool of a student." Tsunade replied.

"You're the fool!" Naruto snapped.

Tsunade turned her attention to Naruto again as he insulted her. She glared back at him and leaned forward.

"What did you say, gaki?" Tsunade sneered.

"You heard me you heartless bitch." Naruto replied.

"Watch it brat, I'm a Sannin for the reason."

"Well you know what, you don't deserve that title. In fact, I think Orochimaru is probably more worthy of that title than you are even after his crimes. I came here with Jiraiya to search for you because our village is in need of medical assistance and a leader. I heard stories about your accomplishments and I thought you were a decent person. Now that I see you're nothing but an empty pathetic shell of your former self, I guess those stories were false. I'm not going to sit here and listen to you insult some of the bravest men that have walked this earth!"

Naruto stood up from the booth and glared at Tsunade who looked about ready to kill him. He began to walk away but stopped to throw one last poke at her.

"For the record, that genjutsu you are using right now does more than hide your age. It hides the ugliness of your soul which you have tarnished over the years. Your grandfather and uncle would be ashamed of what you have become. So I believe I am in perfect jurisdiction to say, go to hell!" Naruto finished.

He turned on his heel and exited the bar, not being able to tolerate the blonde Sannin any longer.

* * *

Naruto trudged out of the building and started heading back to the hotel. He couldn't believe that a woman with such high recognition would belittle her own forefathers. He was about to continue but sensed something fast coming at him. Naruto looked back and saw a bottle of tequila soaring at him. He swerved smoothly to the left and dodged the glass which shattered somewhere behind him. He saw Tsunade lowering her arm and her fists tightened. Jiraiya and the black haired woman hustled out of the bar a couple seconds later. Naruto kept an impassive look on his face as he looked at Tsunade.

"Take it back!" Tsunade demanded.

"No. I will not take back what I said because it's the truth." Naruto replied.

"You want to fight, gaki?"

"If it'll pound some sense into that thick skull of yours, then yes."

"You're on!"

It was at this point Jiraiya and the black haired woman decided to intervene.

"Lady Tsunade, you're drunk! Just let it go!" The woman shouted.

"Shut-up, Shizune!" Tsunade snapped.

"Naruto, even though Tsunade is drunk she is not someone you want to fight, let it go." Jiraiya said.

"Ero-Sennin, I'm not leaving until I slug her a couple good ones." Naruto replied.

Jiraiya wanted to stop him, but he too was furious with Tsunade and her behavior. He looked back at his former teammate then at Naruto and nodded. Naruto shed his Chunin vest and his long sleeved shirt leaving him in his mustle shirt. He pulled out his combat knife and sank into his combat stance.

"You see this finger, gaki? This is all I need to take you down," Tsunade taunted as she held up her index finger.

"You're going to need some stitches to sew it back one when I'm done with you." Naruto replied.

"Then come and get me."

Naruto reached into his pouch for a couple smoke bombs and a kunai. He threw the smoke bombs and they exploded covering the entire area in smoke. Wrapping an explosive tag around the kunai he threw it directly at Tsunade. Tsunade narrowed her eyes in concentration when she saw the smoke clear the area. She dodged the kunai just in time to avoid getting hit but she didn't see the tag on it. There was a loud boom as the explosion sent Tsunade airborne into the smoke. She landed neatly and shook her head to clear her ringing ears. She quickly jumped to the right and avoided a slash from Naruto's knife. However she didn't see his right hook coming at her. Tsunade barely caught Naruto's arm after it came at her. She heaved him in the air and slammed him into the ground. He hacked up blood and she smirked down at him.

"Had enough, gaki?" Tsunade asked.

"No, but if I look at it this way I kind of win. You didn't hit me with your one finger." Naruto replied.

Tsunade's mouth twitched at his cheeky tone and she kicked him in his side, only to be surprised when he dispersed. Her eyes widened for a second when she realized he knew the **Kage-Bunshin**. She felt something hard slam into her back then a stinging cut coming from her hand. Tsunade gave a frustrated cry and swung her fist back. There was a crack and Naruto gave a grunt in pain as he went soaring into an empty stand. The smoke finally dispersed and Tsunade looked at Naruto as he sat up gingerly. She looked at her hand and noticed he left a deep gash towards the finger he vowed to cut off. Naruto gingerly touched his nose and felt the coppery taste of blood on his tongue. He stood up and glared at Tsunade before twirling his knife and holding it ready to strike.

"Hey kid, let me ask you something!" Tsunade barked.

"Lay it on me." Naruto replied.

"Why are you so fussy about the title of Hokage? What does it mean to you?"

"Because unlike you, becoming Hokage is my goal!"

Tsunade felt something inside her memory pang. She remembered her late brother and lover both vowed to be Hokage. But both of them were killed tearing their dreams asunder. She looked down as she remembered them and dropped her guard. Naruto decided to take the chance and sheathed his knife. He held out his hand and began to form the **Rasengan**. Jiraiya noticed this and his eyes widened when it actually formed in between his hands, but it wasn't complete. Naruto charged forward and gave a loud cry as he brought the attack back to slam into Tsunade.

"Lady Tsunade, lookout!" Shizune hollered.

Tsunade broke out of her trance and saw Naruto a couple of feet away from her. Her eyes widened in shock when she saw that he was holding a **Rasengan** in his hands. Thinking quickly she flicked her finger on the ground and created a massive fissure. Naruto tripped from the rumbling ground and Tsunade swiped his knife and slashed upwards. Naruto's headband was cut from his head and sent airborne. Naruto staggered back but was sent bouncing down the road from a finger flick to the head from Tsunade. He coughed as he came to a stop and spat up some blood.

"What the hell are you thinking, Jiraiya? You taught that kid the **Rasengan**?" Tsunade shouted.

"He has the potential to master it, and I know he can do it." Jiraiya replied.

"I bet you that he can't!"

Naruto heard Tsunade's statement and smirked a little bit. An opportunity just presented itself and he was going to use it.

"Oh yeah? I bet you I can master it in one week." Naruto declared.

"I'll take that bet." Tsunade replied.

"I already know I'm going to win this because I know of your losing streak. So what do I have to worry about?"

"You're on, gaki. I bet you can't master that in a week. If I win, you and Jiraiya have to give me all of your money, you also have to give me your combat knife and renounce your title as Chunin. And if you win, I'll give you this necklace of mine."

"Lady Tsunade, that's!" Shizune began but was cut off when Tsunade glared at her.

"I don't think so. You need to sweeten the deal." Naruto shot back.

"And what else do I need to give you if you win?"

"You have to come back with us to Konoha, heal our comrades and take up the title as Hokage. Take it or leave it."

Tsunade walked over to Naruto and held out her hand. Naruto gripped it tightly and shook it.

"Good luck, gaki." Tsunade said.

"Don't need it." Naruto replied.

* * *

**Well, there's the chapter guys, love it? Hate it? Either way, review and tell me your thoughts. Now like I said I'm back in college and I'm gonna be busy, but I'll do what I can do get chapters posted. Same as last time, if you wish to ask me any questions about the story shoot me a PM and I'll be happy to talk back. See you next time!-CaptainPrice**

**Story shout outs:**

**Changes: by Mash Tactics. You know the whole, 'With great power comes great responsibility thing' this story has it! This story is very interesting and I'm always eager to see the next chapter. The story starts off a little slow but gradually picks up, so check it out and give it a chance.**

**A Shinobi's Creed: by CaptainPrice. Have you ever wondered what would happen if Obito didn't die saving Kakashi in the cave and the Third Great Shinobi War didn't end after Kakashi's team destroyed the bridge? Well now's your chance. Follow the story through the eyes of Uchiha Obito in third and most likely first person view. **


	25. If you want blood, you got it!

**And I'm back, from outter space...or wherever the hell you thought I was. Anyway, I'll save the Author's Note for the end of the chapter guys since I know you all just want to read or in this case (skim) the chapter as usual. I ask that you read the author's note at the end because it's in regards to the story. For those of you who wanted to see more necromancy, here you go. I have a list of the Death Knight attacks and abilities after the authors note. Personal note, props to those who can name the band that sings this chapters title without looking it up online. Remember, Read and Review as always...come on guys I see the hits, there can be more reviews than the amount I always get.**

**Bold- Inner Sakura/Kyuubi/Death Knight attacks/Summons**

**Italics-Thoughts/Letters/Flashbacks**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Naruto or WoW. I DO however own the OCs, the story, and the idea of the story itself.**

* * *

Naruto watched as Tsunade turned on her heel to walk away. He had one week to master the Rasengan if he wanted to follow up on his statement. Tying his headband back on, he began to head back to the hotel. If he was going to master the Rasengan he needed to have all the energy he could get, and getting some sleep would be a good start.

Jiraiya gave a nod as he watched Naruto walking away. He was quite surprised that Naruto had managed to get Tsunade to place that bet. While he knew Tsunade was notorious for losing everything at gambling, this time he was a little worried that she would win. Turning to his left he saw Tsunade walking to a different bar and decided to go and talk with her for a bit. As Shizune watched Jiraiya leave she looked at Tonton and gave a sigh.

"We can never have a normal day can we, Tonton?" Shizune asked.

Tonton gave an oink in reply as Shizune picked him up.

* * *

Jiraiya sat beside Tsunade at a small stand that was selling barbeque and liquor. Tsunade quickly gulped down her first shot of sake which made Jiraiya smirk a little bit. Tsunade saw this and sent a small glare at him.

"What's so funny?" she asked.

"Nothing," Jiraiya replied taking a sip of sake as well. "Just forgot how much you tend to drink sometimes."

"Real cute. Now why don't you go back to your hotel?"

"I will, don't worry about that. But first I want to talk to you about Orochimaru."

Tsunade's eyes narrowed at what Jiraiya said. He didn't know about the offer Orochimaru made her did he? No, he couldn't have known. Jiraiya shook his head and sipped his sake again when he observed Tsunade's reaction to his question. His spy network had informed him about Tsunade's run in with Orochimaru and that Orochimaru may have made her an offer if she healed his arms.

"So what did he offer you?" Jiraiya asked.

"He didn't offer me anything, Jiraiya." Tsunade replied.

"You were always bad at lying, Tsunade. Now let's try this again. What did he offer you?"

"Well you should know what he wanted Jiraiya, if your spy network is the reason you know about the offer then you should know what he asked for."

"What did he offer you if you fixed his arms?"

"Jiraiya, I don't want to…"

"Tsunade, don't hide anything from me. Tell me what he offered you."

"He offered to bring back Nawaki and Dan."

Jiraiya clenched his fists when he heard her say that. He was angry with what Orochimaru offered and he was worried that Tsunade would follow through with the proposal. Looking down at his glass of sake, he decided to speak his thoughts.

"You know what'll happen if he brings them back." Jiraiya said.

"I know, it won't really be them, they'll just be shells of their former selves. But I just can't help it, Jiraiya. I miss them both so much." Tsunade replied.

"Tsunade, we've known each other for a long time and we've been through much together. But I'm telling you this right now. If you take up Orochimaru on that offer, I will kill you."

Tsunade turned and looked Jiraiya in the eyes to determine if he was serious. When she looked into them, she saw nothing but cold eyes looking back at her. Jiraiya was completely serious about killing her and it scared her a little bit.

"As much as I miss them Jiraiya, I wouldn't take up Orochimaru's offer. I don't trust that slimy bastard any more than you do." Tsunade said.

Jiraiya sighed again and shook his head as he took another sip of sake.

"For your sake I hope that's true." Jiraiya said.

* * *

Naruto flopped down on his bed and rubbed his eyes in exhaustion. The bruise on his head from Tsunade's finger flick was still aching, but thankfully Kyuubi was starting to heal it. He hadn't felt a punch like that since he was in Icecrown for training, except the punch was from a Vrykul and not some drunken old woman.

"Damn, that granny can pack a punch." Naruto muttered.

A knock came from the door making Naruto groan. He sat up and trudged to the door to open it. As he was about to turn the knob he stopped. After running into Itachi and Kisame earlier that week he decided not to take any chances. Naruto glanced through the small eyehole to see who it was. His eye fell on Shizune and Tonton which made him relax. Unlocking the door he opened it wide to greet her.

"Shizune, right?" Naruto asked.

"Yes. Um, can I come in for a minute? I need to talk to you." Shizune replied.

"Yeah."

Naruto stepped aside and closed the door as Shizune came in. Shizune sat down in the chair by his bed. Naruto sat back down on the bed and looked at Shizune as he waited for her to talk.

"So why are you here?" Naruto asked.

"I came to apologize for Tsunade's behavior tonight. She's had a rough day." Shizune replied.

"Yeah, I guess losing all of your money and drinking yourself silly can lead to a rough day."

"You've got a bit of a smart mouth there, kid."

"It comes with being a teenager. Now is there anything else you needed to tell me? Because if not I need to get some shuteye if I want to master the Rasengan."

"Actually, that's the other thing I wanted to talk to you about."

"Go ahead."

"It's about that bet you made with Tsunade. I want you to cancel the bet."

Naruto's eyes snapped open and narrowed at Shizune. This talk was going to be unpleasant for the both of them.

"I'm sorry, but I can't do that." Naruto said.

"Why not?" Shizune asked.

"I will never give up. That's my shinobi way."

"That's it? That's the only reason you have?"

"Why are you getting so defensive about this bet?"

"Why are you?"

"You think my only reason is because of my belief? In case you weren't paying attention to the hag and the perve's conversation, Konoha has many injured shinobi that need her help and one of them happens to be my brother! Do you really think that bet I made with her was to shut her up? I saw her weakness for gambling and tricked her into doing it. I'm doing my job as a shinobi to drag her drunk ass back to Konoha for the Sandaime because he needs her help."

Shizune bit her lip and looked down at her feet at Naruto's response. She felt a little guilty for jumping at Naruto's response, but she wasn't done with her reason either. With her counter ready, she looked back at Naruto.

"Fine I won't argue with you on that reason. But please, call off that bet. That necklace of Tsunade's is precious to her in a way you probably cannot understand." Shizune argued.

"Yeah? Try me." Naruto challenged.

"That necklace she decided to throw into that bet of yours is something special to her because it is the only thing she has to remember of two people close to her."

"Go on."

"Tsunade-Sama gave that necklace to her boyfriend, Dan, and her little brother, Nawaki. Call it superstition, but she believes it's cursed. When she gave the necklace to her boyfriend and her brother, they both died within a few months of receiving it. And the one thing that both Dan and Nawaki had in common is they wanted to be Hokage, just like you."

Naruto absorbed the story Shizune told him and did feel sympathy towards Tsunade. Although he felt where Tsunade was coming from, he was not calling off the bet. His mind made up, he looked at Shizune again.

"Look, I understand where she is coming from. But my answer still stands. The bet will remain on until the week is up, I'm sorry." Naruto declared.

"Fine, but when you lose the bet don't say I didn't try to stop you. I'm pretty sure you could have convinced Tsunade another way." Shizune replied.

"There was no other way. Sometimes if you need something from someone, you need to play their game."

Shizune sighed and stood up. Upon reaching the door, she stopped and turned to Naruto once again.

"She wasn't always like this, Naruto. Under her drunken barrier is a kunoichi that would always do her duty like you. And I believe you may have broken through to her with your statement." Shizune said.

"I'll believe it when I see it." Naruto answered.

Shizune closed the door as she exited the room leaving Naruto alone. Naruto gave another sigh and fell back on his bed again. Part of him was hoping he had gotten through to Tsunade with his words, but another part of him felt like they went in one ear and out the other. Closing his eyes, he let sleep take him.

* * *

Naruto fell to his knees again after attempting to make the Rasengan for what felt like the thousandth time. His hands were burning from the chakra he had used and it wasn't easing up. Holding out his hand again, he tried to form the Rasengan once more. The blue ball of chakra formed in his hands but exploded and sent him spiraling back like before. Naruto gave a cry of frustration and pain when he pushed himself up.

"This is impossible!" Naruto shouted.

**"You have to calm down, Naruto. Getting angry isn't going to help you master this any sooner."** Kyuubi noted.

"Thank you Captain Obvious."

**"Don't get smart with me, boy. I'm only trying to help and it's a little hard to do when you're acting like an ass."**

"I know, I know. I'm sorry, alright?"

**"Why don't you take a break and eat something? We've been out here since five this morning and you could use some lunch. Plus, you can regain your chakra and rest your hands."**

Naruto gave a mental nod and stood up to walk back to the town. His hands throbbed in pain again and made him grimace. The Rasengan training was definitely a lot harder and he was nowhere near to finishing the technique. He had three days to master the technique or he lost the bet. The thought of losing to Tsunade made him feel sick to his stomach. The sweet smell of ramen and vegies met his nostrils making him salivate. He entered the ramen stand and sat down.

"This ramen is good, but it's nowhere near as good as Teuchi's." Naruto muttered.

Naruto started to devour his ramen once it was placed in front of him. The chef and some of the customers looked at him with some disgust at his lack of courtesy. Naruto ignored them and continued to scarf down the ramen in front of him.

**"Naruto, how are you feeling about this bet right now?"** Kyuubi asked.

"Honestly, I'm not feeling too well about it. I have three days to master this thing and I still can't get it to form properly." Naruto replied.

**"Well you better shape up, because if you lose your mission is a failure. Not to mention you'll have to live with the fact that you lost a bet to an old woman."**

"You're right, I've still got time. Plus, I did manage to learn the summoning technique in the span of three weeks. So why can't I master this one?"

Naruto paid for his meal and exited the stand to head back to the fields. He was going to win this bet no matter what.

* * *

Two days had come and gone and Naruto kept to his word about mastering the Rasengan. He was now able to form it perfectly with the clone, but he had to be able to do it without the clone assisting him. He almost had it at one point at the end of the day today, but it backfired as soon as he started to run with it. There were some angry words spurting from Naruto's mouth at messing it up right at the end there. Unknown to Naruto, however, Tsunade had been keeping an eye on him and his training in secret. She was astounded to see he managed to form a perfect Rasengan in general, even though he had a clone assisting him. The bet still was in her favor though since the Rasengan had to be formed with one hand only.

Naruto was sitting in the hotel room to recuperate once again from his relentless training. His hands were bloodied and burned from the chakra and he was thankful that Kyuubi was able to give him quick healing. Jiraiya exited the bathroom and looked at Naruto who was still recovering from the rigorous training.

"You ready to win that bet tomorrow, gaki?" Jiraiya asked.

"I'll give it my best shot. I'm kind of hoping for a miracle at this rate." Naruto replied.

"Hey, I wanted to ask you something."

"Go ahead."

"Why didn't you use your necromancy against Tsunade? You probably could have won if you used it since she was already drunk to begin with."

"I have a couple reasons for that, actually. The first being the code of conduct for the Ebon Blade. I will use the powers only if fighting an enemy, whether it is scourge or shinobi and if it's to protect my comrades. The second reason is because of the civilians. I mean think about it. What would civilians think if they see me controlling death with my own hands? Plus, what do you think Tsunade's reaction would have been? The last thing we need is for her to tell Orochimaru what I'm capable of and draw attention to myself."

Jiraiya nodded when he heard Naruto's explanation and mentally agreed that he made the right call. If anyone saw Naruto's powers with necromancy, whether it would be raising the undead or using any other power it could attract unwanted attention. He gave a sigh as he stood up from his bed.

"Why don't you get some shut eye, Naruto? The more energy you have tomorrow, the better." Jiraiya suggested.

"That was my plan. This training has drained me." Naruto replied.

"Alright, I'll be back later. I'm going to meet up with Tsunade to have a drink."

Jiraiya turned and exited the room leaving Naruto alone.

* * *

Jiraiya found himself entering the small bar and grill stand he and Tsunade sat in earlier that week. Tsunade had invited him out for a drink before the bet would end tomorrow. He was still keeping an eye on Tsunade and still wasn't completely sure if she would accept Orochimaru's offer. He found his former blonde teammate sitting in the same spot as last time and sat beside her.

"So how's the brat?" Tsunade asked.

"He's doing alright. He's sleeping to have enough energy to win the bet tomorrow." Jiraiya replied.

"I observed his training and I have to admit I'm impressed. However, it doesn't look like you're going to win this bet Jiriaya."

"Don't be too sure on that, Tsunade. Naruto's good at pulling off last minute surprises."

"Whatever gets you through the night."

Tsunade slipped Jiraiya the drink she ordered him and raised hers. Jiraiya clanked his glass against hers and downed the drink. He gave a quick shudder to shake off the taste and got ready to poor another glass. Tsunade fingered the drug that was stowed in her pocket and got ready to put her plan into effect. Jiraiya had finished filling her glass up again and she gulped it down. The two of them continued drinking and drinking shot after shot until finally both were drunk. Tsunade took Jiraiya's glass when he set it down and poured another round, while doing so she dropped the drug into the drink and watched it dissolve instantly. Pushing it back to Jiraiya, she raised her glass again.

"Bottoms up," Jiraiya said gulping down his drink.

Tsunade set her glass on the table and watched as Jiraiya began to lean forward a little bit. Jiraiya screwed his eyes shut then opened them again to try and focus. His vision was growing poor with each passing second and he couldn't rectify it. He turned his head to look at Tsunade, but he even found that difficult. Tsunade stood up and looked down at him with a frown.

"Tsunade, what the hell did you do to me?" Jiraiya slurred as he tried to stand.

"I can't have you interfering, Jiraiya. I'm sorry." Tsunade replied.

"Damn you, Tsunade!"

Jiraiya managed to stand up but his legs shut down and he fell, face first to the ground. He saw Tsunade turn on her heel and begin to walk away. Giving a frustrated growl, he started using all the strength in his arms to pull himself after Tsunade. He hadn't gotten further than four feet before he lost the feeling in his arms.

_"Son of a bitch…"_ Jiraiya thought as he fell unconscious.

* * *

Sunlight beamed through the windows and pierced Naruto's eyelids. He gave a groan as he rolled on to his back and looked at the ceiling. He heard the birds chirping outside the window and checked his watch. The time read seven-thirty. Naruto gave a yawn and stretched his arms out after getting his good night sleep.

"I feel great right now." Naruto muttered.

He got out of bed and started to walk to the bathroom to wash his face, but stopped when he heard abrupt knocks on the door. Just as he was about to open it, the door was kicked open and Shizune entered the room.

"You're paying for the door. I hope you know that." Naruto noted.

"Quit being a smartass, we've got a problem!" Shizune snapped back.

"Alright, I'll bite. What's the problem now?"

"It's Lady Tsunade. She never came back to the room last night."

"So she may have just passed out in a bar somewhere?"

"I thought so too, but I asked around and no one has seen her."

Naruto ran a hand through his hair and cursed under his breath. Jiraiya was the only one who was with her last night after he left and he never came back either. His first thought was that they may have gone at it after getting plastered. Shivering at the thought, he began to think of another possibility. The only other thought he had was that Tsunade went to Orochimaru, but that also seemed unlikely if Jiraiya was with her to keep surveillance.

"Well, maybe she's still with Jiraiya." Naruto suggested.

"It seems a little unlikely that she would still be with him at this time." Shizune replied.

"Look as much as it makes me sick to say it, maybe they got together after getting hammered and did a little…"

"Alright, I get the picture."

The two of them turned to the window after hearing something crash into it. They saw Jiraiya struggling to open the window and began to wonder if he was still drunk from the previous night. Naruto walked over and opened the window for Jiraiya and watched as he fell to the floor and sat up with difficulty.

"Long night?" Naruto asked.

"She drugged me." Jiraiya mumbled.

"Tsunade drugged you?" Shizune asked.

"Yes she did, Shizune. And I have to tell you it feels very unpleasant. Can you please give me something to get it out of my system?"

"I can give you something, yes. However, it will take a while for it to completely boot it out of you."

"I don't care, as long as I'm somewhat functional to fight Orochimaru."

"Wait, she's actually going to go through with his proposal?"

"It would appear so. I may have to kill them both by the looks of it."

Silence filled the room as Jiraiya said that last sentence. The thought of the three Sanin going against each other was disheartening. If it came to that, Jiraiya would most likely lose. He could take on one of them, but both would definitely be a death wish. Shizune handed Jiraiya a small red pill.

"Here, this will start helping you as soon as you swallow it, but it will take a while before you are able to function properly." Shizune said.

Jiraiya swallowed the pill and gave a shudder as it went down his throat. He slowly stood up and started to walk around to get the feeling back in his legs a little more.

"Shizune, where did Orochimaru say they would meet if Tsunade was to follow through with the deal?" Jiraiya asked.

"On the outskirts the city, just short of the farm fields." Shizune replied.

"Then that's where we are going."

* * *

Tsunade was standing in the backstreet waiting for Orochimaru to show himself. She got her wish when she felt two chakra signatures appear behind her.

"Took you long enough." Tsunade said.

"I just wanted to be sure you didn't have any unwanted people here when we started our little deal," Orochimaru said, his snake like grin spreading across his face.

"What's the situation with your arms? Did your lapdog there stitch them back on?"

"Of course."

Tsunade turned around and saw Orochimaru standing there alongside his bodyguard with the silver hair. The guardian had a matching smirk with his master. She could see the stitches in his arms just like he confirmed with her a moment ago.

"Wait a second, why didn't you just shed your skin to regenerate your limbs? I know you're capable of doing that." Tsunade stated.

"While that's true, the wretched technique that cut off my beautiful arms seems to have an effect that prevents me from regenerating them. It's as if they've been reaped from my soul." Orochimaru answered.

"Reaped? What are you talking about?"

"I'll tell you as soon as you heal my arms, Tsunade."

Tsunade frowned inwardly and could tell Orochimaru was hiding something. She gave a sigh and held out her hands over Orochimaru's arms. Her eyes grew in shock as she analyzed the extent of the damage. It was as if the nerves, muscles and chakra coils of his arms were missing. She could repair it, but it would take a while to get them to the point of functioning at all. Channeling chakra into her hands, she began to heal Orochimaru's arms. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Orochimaru grimace in discomfort as the damage in his arms started to recede.

"Hurry up Tsunade or the deal is off!" Orochimaru hissed.

"I can only do so much, Orochimaru. If I were to hurry up and rush it, I could end up damaging your arms to the point that I won't even be able to heal them." Tsunade replied.

"Fine."

What happened next would change the course of this bitter meeting. Tsunade brought back her fist which was filled with chakra and sent the strongest punch she could at Orochimaru's face. There was a sickening crunch as Orochimaru's cheek broke from the brute force. He was launched off of his feet and sent straight through the opposing wall. Kabuto jumped out of the way just in time to avoid being turned into something to resemble a squashed insect. He started to run towards the wall Orochimaru broke through to support him.

"Oh no you don't!" Tsunade yelled as she smashed her fist into the ground again.

A massive fissure began to follow Kabuto until it finally crumbled under his feet. Kabuto turned around to come face to face with the enraged Tsunade. Her fist was brought back for another punch and he did the only thing he could do. He held his arms up to block the punch and jumped back at the last second. While the punch didn't hit him directly, it still had enough force to hit him through the air. Kabuto was sent through the wall just like Orochimaru but he managed to land on his feet before hitting the ground.

_"Heh, as expected from Tsunade. Her inhuman strength doesn't disappoint."_ Kabuto thought.

"I'm not done with you yet!" Tsunade hollered as she jumped at Kabuto again.

Kabuto began to go on the defensive and pulled out a kunai. He gave a smirk as he knew of Tsunade's weakness. Bringing the kunai up, he gave a quick slash and sent blood from his arm on to Tsunade's face. As soon as that happened, Tsunade froze in mid-step. Her blood went cold and she began to shake. As her hemophobia kicked in, Kabuto wasted no time and lunged at her with his kunai. What he didn't expect was to be hit by a glowing green skull of fire.

Kabuto gave a cry of pain as the skin on his arm burned. He glared in the direction where the attack came from and his eyes fell upon Naruto and Shizune. His mouth moved up into a smirk as he saw Naruto. He had hoped for the day to come where he could give the blonde a proper thank you for getting him locked up during the Chunin Exams, and now here he stood.

"Tsunade-Sama, are you okay?" Shizune asked as she put her hand on Tsunade's shoulder.

She could feel Tsunade shaking under her palm and frowned. Tsunade was too lost in shock to even hear her question. Shizune began wiping the blood off of Tsunade's face and continued her attempts to get her to focus. While that was happening, Naruto turned to look at Kabuto with mild surprise.

"Well, I didn't think you'd have been able to break out of the ANBU prison, Kabuto." Naruto spoke.

"Orochimaru found me too valuable to have wasting away in that compound. So during the invasion he sent his best shinobi to break me out." Kabuto replied.

"Because of your medical skills?"

"Yes, however my skills weren't sufficient enough to heal Orochimaru-Sama's arms."

"Shame, I'm surprised he let you live. He usually kills anyone who fails him."

"Hold your tongue you little brat."

"Oh, did I hit a nerve with you there, Kabuto?"

"I'm not one to be affected by insults, Naruto. But I can't let that one you said to me slide. I'm just as proficient with medical jutsu as Tsunade, and I can show you just how deadly it is in combat as much as it is useful for healing."

"Then come at me, Kabuto."

Kabuto's hands started glowing green as he lunged at Naruto. Naruto quickly summoned his blade and brought it up to parry Kabuto's attack. Kabuto's hands hit Naruto's blade and he gave a grimace as he felt it cut into his hands. He jumped back and started to mend them.

"Not much of an attack there, Kabuto. Don't tell me that's all you've got!" Naruto barked.

Naruto brought his fingers together and created a few **Kage-Bunshins**. All at once they brought their hands up and launched a barrage of **Death Coils** at Kabuto. Kabuto's eyes grew briefly at the new power he was seeing and dodged the flaming skulls. However, he didn't expect himself to suddenly slow down to snail's pace. He looked down and saw his feet were almost blue in color. Naruto lowered his hand after casting **Chains of Ice** to slow Kabuto. He went through a series of handsigns again and finished the last one.

"**Fuuton: Renkuudan!**" Naruto cried.

The wind bullet hit Kabuto directly in his stomach and sent him crashing across the ground. Naruto continued his assault and charged at Kabuto holding his hand out to use **Icy Touch**. Kabuto barely dodged the attack and gave a swipe at Naruto again with his hands. Naruto felt the chakra hit his hand and he gave a surprised cry of pain. The skin of his hand was unharmed, but his left hand was completely shot. He tried flexing his muscles but found it impossible. Kabuto gave a chuckle at Naruto's look of shock.

"I'm sure you can tell your hand is now unable to be used. As I said before, Naruto, medical jutsu is just as deadly in combat as it is for healing," Kabuto began. "The chakra you see around my hands right now are chakra scalpels. They allow me to slice and cut the muscles and blood vessels of the body without harming the surface of the skin, which is why you don't have a scratch on you."

"That's a dirty trick, Kabuto." Naruto sneered.

"Dirty but effective, Naruto."

Kabuto leapt at Naruto again and brought both of his hands down for a slice. Naruto, thinking quickly, channeled his runic power and performed **Unbreakable Armor**. Kabuto's eyes narrowed in suspicion as Naruto let the attack come closer. When Kabuto's hands made contact with Naruto's chest, he was surprised when it was him who felt the pain instead of Naruto. The chakra scalpels had completely rebounded off of Naruto and resulted in giving Kabuto the full blast of the scalpels. Kabuto gave Naruto a look of confusion and bewilderment.

"You seem surprised. To be honest, I'm a little surprised myself. That defense I just used can protect me against some of the strongest attacks, but from what you said earlier about the chakra scalpels, I was a little worried it wouldn't work. I was pretty sure it was going to be a knife through butter case, but no." Naruto informed.

"Don't get cocky. Although I did take the hit of the chakra scalpels, it's not as bad as your hand." Kabuto replied.

Kabuto's hands glowed green for a few moments before turning blue again. He had healed the damage the scalpels did and got ready to come at Naruto again. Just as he was about to attack, he immediately felt cold and sick. Kabuto fell to his knees and vomited up blood. Naruto was now aware that his ice attacks from earlier infected Kabuto with **Frost Fever**. This gave him the advantage now since Kabuto would be slower with his moments. Not wasting any more time, Naruto jumped at Kabuto and swung at him performing a **Festering Strike**. The attack slashed Kabuto across the chest and made him yell in pain. Naruto continued his onslaught and followed up a **Blood Strike** then used **Chains of Ice** again to prevent Kabuto from moving quick.

He summoned a clone and ordered the clone to use** Chains of Ice** again while he ran to intercept Kabuto with his next attack. Naruto pressed his hands to the ground and watched as ancient seals appeared on the ground, making it glow red. **Death and Decay **was definitely one of Gaz's favorite attacks, so Naruto decided to pull a leaf from Zano's book. Kabuto began to feel his skin burn from the ground under him and saw that his flesh was slowly peeling away.

"What the hell are you?" Kabuto yelled.

"I am death," Naruto replied with an icy tone.

Kabuto avoided another slash from Naruto and swiped at him again with his chakra scalpels. The attack hit Naruto in his leg and made him fall to his knees. Naruto gave an annoyed growl as he struggled to stand up.

_"Cheap son of a bitch!"_ Naruto thought.

Kabuto drove his knee into Naruto's stomach and smashed down on his spine with his elbow. Naruto fell to the ground and hacked up a glob of blood from the attacks. Naruto's clone jumped at Kabuto from behind and was met with chakra scalpels. The clone dispersed and gave Naruto enough time to roll away and hold out his hand. Kabuto turned to Naruto and saw his eyes. His eyes made him stop in mid stride in shock. Naruto's eyes had changed. One eye was a neon blue wisp with a black slit and the other was a crimson eye with a black slit.

"Try this on for size, Kabuto. **Blood Boil!**" Naruto barked.

Kabuto fell to his knees in agony and felt his muscles and blood burning with pain. He could see his skin turning red and his veins were bulging from the pain. Naruto jumped at Kabuto and gave an uppercut to his chin. Kabuto staggered back and was met with Naruto's blade once again.

"**Obliterate!**" Naruto cried.

Kabuto felt more pain as the blade slashed into his side and his bones cracked from the attack. Gritting his teeth, he turned and glared at Naruto with anger. The boy before him was putting up more of a fight than he thought he was capable of. Fighting through the pain, Kabuto sent some shuriken at Naruto. Naruto jumped back and managed to block a few of the shuriken but some of them managed to hit him. Kabuto jumped at Naruto and slashed at Naruto's arms with the scalpels. The attacks hit both of Naruto's arms and made him drop his blade from muscle failure. Kabuto swept Naruto's feet out from under him and delivered an axe kick to his stomach. Naruto's face scrunched up in pain as he coughed up another glob of blood.

"That look suits you, Naruto," Kabuto began as he gave two more slashed to Naruto's legs. "Now stay here and wait your turn, I have to finish my fight with Tsunade."

Naruto gave an angry growl as Kabuto turned around and limped to Tsunade as he healed his wounds. He struggled and tried with all of his might to move his arms and legs to try and reach Kabuto before he got to Tsunade to harm her. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Shizune fighting Kabuto with her own chakra scalpels activated as well. He closed his eyes and attempted to talk to Kyuubi.

"Kyuubi, I need you to patch me up. He's going after granny!" Naruto urged.

**"Very well, just hang on a moment."** Kyuubi agreed.

Naruto felt Kyuubi's chakra surge through his body again. He could feel the muscles in his legs and arms returning to normal as the chakra coursed inside him. Naruto pushed himself off of the ground and saw that Shizune was lying on her side, obviously defeated by Kabuto with his scalpels. He turned around and noticed Kabuto charging at Tsunade with a kunai in hand. Naruto used some more of Kyuubi's chakra and had a sudden burst of adrenaline. He disappeared in a red flash and appeared in front of Tsunade to block Kabuto. Bringing his hand up, Naruto winced as the kunai pierced his hand. Kabuto clicked his tongue in annoyance and was about to move away from Naruto but found his legs frozen in blocks of ice. Naruto lowered his hand after casting **Hungering Cold** and opened his mouth to speak.

"Get ready to hand over the necklace, granny," Naruto said as he glanced over his shoulder.

Naruto held his free hand back and began to concentrate as hard as he could. He could feel his chakra begin to take shape in his hand as the Rasengan formed. The blue ball of chakra was rotating and growing stronger and stronger with each passing second.

"Eat this, Poindexter," Naruto began as he drove his hand forward. "Rasengan!"

Naruto's hand pushed the Rasengan straight into Kabuto's stomach. Kabuto's mouth opened in a silent scream as the attack hit him directly in his stomach. He finally gave a loud cry of pain as the attack began to push him back until finally he was blasted off his feet. The attack engulfed Kabuto in a whirlwind and carried him towards a bunch of giant rocks. The Rasengan carried Kabuto through a total of three rocks until he came to a stop at the last one, creating a body print. Kabuto slumped against the remains in utter shock from the powerful attack.

Tsunade was looking at Kabuto from her place behind Naruto with surprise as well. She looked at Naruto and couldn't believe it. The boy before her had mastered the Yondaime Hokage's signature attack, which took him years to develop in just one week. Jiraiya and Orochimaru even stopped their fight temporarily to watch the skirmish between Kabuto and Naruto end with Naruto using the Rasengan.

_"That Kyuubi brat. Where did he learn to do a technique like that?"_ Orochimaru wondered.

Jiraiya felt pride rush through him when he saw Naruto defeat Kabuto with the Rasengan.

_"Seems like Naruto has things handled on his end."_ Jiraiya thought.

Naruto was panting heavily as his eyes never left Kabuto, who was currently struggling to stand up without support of the rock. He barred his teeth at Kabuto when he saw that he was now standing with difficulty. He couldn't understand how Kabuto could be walking after an attack of that magnitude. Naruto was about to move and finish Kabuto off, but stopped in his tracks when he felt his chest constrict in pain. He bent over and coughed out a bunch of blood again. Naruto swayed back and forth before falling to his back.

"Did he get me with those chakra scalpels again?" Naruto asked himself.

"Naruto, hang on!" Tsunade shouted.

Naruto was having difficulty keeping his eyes open and trying to breathe for that matter. Tsunade came into view and began using her medical jutsu to heal him. Even though Tsunade was healing him, he couldn't feel a change in his breathing pattern. His vision was beginning to go dark as he was losing consciousness.

_"What's going on? Am I dying?"_ Naruto thought.

* * *

As his sight grew worse, Naruto was also starting to lose his other senses. He couldn't hear anything, he now couldn't see anything, he couldn't feel anything, he couldn't taste the blood in his mouth, and now he was barely able to breathe. Kyuubi was also beginning to feel the same thing Naruto was since he and Naruto were connected via the seal.

**"It's dark… it's getting very dark now."** Kyuubi muttered. **"Damn-it, no! Naruto, hang in there, I'm going to juice you again!"**

Kyuubi sent a powerful burst of chakra through Naruto again and began trying to mend the damage to his heart. Light was starting to grow in the chamber and Kyuubi sent another surge of chakra into Naruto again in to get his heart beating. Although Kyuubi was helping Naruto, he was concerned that the side effects of his chakra might come into play and poison Naruto as well.

**"Come on, Naruto. Get off your ass and finish this fight!"** Kyuubi roared as he gave one more final torrent of chakra.

* * *

Naruto's eyes snapped open and he gave a gasp as he found himself able to breathe again. Tsunade was looking down at him with relief and she wiped the tears from her eyes. She ruffled his hair and gave him a small smile.

"Don't scare me like that again, brat!" Tsunade berated.

"Sorry." Naruto grunted.

Naruto noticed Tsunade's necklace was no longer around her neck and he placed his hand around his. He found the necklace dangling from his neck, alongside his dog tags. Naruto sat up and noticed Kabuto standing up and walking towards Orochimaru and Jiraiya.

"Hey, he's getting away!" Naruto alerted.

"Naruto, go stop him. I'll be right behind you once I get Shizune's muscles back in order." Tsunade ordered.

Naruto nodded and picked up his blade before heading to intercept Kabuto again. Right when Naruto was about to cast **Chains of Ice**, he felt a punch hit him on the side of his head. He stumbled and fell to his knees. Turning to see his assailant, he was surprised to see Orochimaru towering over him.

"You've given me a lot of trouble you little pest. I shall take great pleasure in killing you here and now." Orochimaru spat.

"Like hell you will!" Tsunade yelled.

Orochimaru was sent flying when Tsunade smashed her fist across his face. She jumped up to continue her assault on Orochimaru, sending various kicks and punches into his body. Naruto shook his head and started to run after Kabuto who was running towards Manda, whom Orochimaru summoned earlier. Naruto closed his eyes to talk with Kyuubi again.

"Kyuubi, I need more of your chakra to catch Kabuto!" Naruto declared.

**"Naruto, I can't give you anymore chakra at this time. If I give you more, I could poison you with it because it's so tainted. The more I give you, the more susceptible you will be to the poison."** Kyuubi replied.

"That's just a risk I'll have to take."

**"Very well."**

Naruto was filled with Kyuubi's chakra once again and he began to dash towards Kabuto again. As Naruto gave chase to Kabuto again, he kicked up a bunch of the ground and it continued to make a trail as he went on. He brought his fist back when he was directly behind Kabuto and gave the strongest puch he could. There was a sickening crunch as Naruto heard some of Kabuto's bones break from his punch. The Kyuubi's chakra faded from Naruto and he immediately felt sick and dizzy. He shook it off and started to attack Kabuto again. Naruto brought his blade down and slashed Kabuto across his leg and kicked him towards the ground.

Kabuto crashed into the ground and pushed his broken glasses back up. He was truly amazed at Naruto's current level of power and could see why he was made Chunin. However, it was Naruto's power that really interested him. He remembered when he was reading Naruto's status card to Sasuke during the first exam and said that Naruto's other skills were classified. The dark power Naruto had been using through their entire fight must have been the classified skills, but what he wanted to know was where Naruto learned such dark arts.

"I have to admit Naruto, you are the first to have ever pushed me this far. But let me ask you something." Kabuto said.

"Ask away, it's not going to matter since you'll be dead when I'm done with you." Naruto replied.

"That power you have used during our fight. What is it?"

"The power that I have used on you throughout our fight is called Necromancy. It gives me the power to control death basically."

"Where does one like you get that kind of power?"

"Now that is something I will keep to myself. I will never tell you where I got my powers or how I got them for that matter."

Kabuto gave a shrug as Naruto gave him that answer. Couldn't hurt to try and get some information. He looked up and saw Naruto holding his hands towards him and mentally cursed for not paying attention. Kabuto once again found himself frozen, but this time he was frozen in a block of ice from the neck down. He could only watch as Naruto walked toward him with his bloodied blade. Kabuto began to squirm and tried to break free from the ice, but it was too cold and thick.

Naruto stopped in front of Kabuto and looked into his eyes. Naruto's eyes were now glowing neon blue as he glared at Kabuto. Naruto raised his blade and slashed through the ice itself, once, twice, three times. He brought back his sword for the final blow and brought it down as hard as he could.

"**Rune Strike!**" Naruto hollered.

The ice exploded into tiny pieces and Kabuto fell to his knees. Four new slashes appeared on his chest, the fourth one had frost growing inside of it. He could feel his body shivering and his blood felt cold as ice. Kabuto looked up at Naruto and saw Naruto place his hands directly over his chest.

"**Howling Blast!**" Naruto bellowed.

Kabuto was blasted off his feet for what would be the last time today. The last attack Naruto hit him with was a blast of snow and ice directly from his hands. Kabuto fell from the air and landed directly on Manda's back. Naruto fell to his knees and began panting heavily from exhaustion. That had definitely been one of his most challenging fights. To his surprise, Kabuto also managed to move and got to his knees. He knew Kabuto was strong, but there was no way he could be alive after all that damage. Naruto squinted and could see Kabuto healing his injuries from the fight, but with little effect.

Tsunade finished landing one final punch on Orochimaru which sent him spiraling down towards Manda. Orochimaru landed hard on Manda's back, much to the giant snake's anger. Manda glared up at Tsunade for causing even greater annoyance.

**"You'll pay for that, wretched bitch!"** Manda hissed.

Manda slithered toward Tsunade and attempted to devour her. Tsunade jumped just in time to avoid being both eaten and poisoned by the monstrous snake. While Tsunade was in the air, her eyes fell upon Gamabunta's blade which was currently embedded into the ground. Gathering the rest of her chakra, she grabbed the top of the giant blade and heaved. The blade came free from the ground and she stabbed it directly through the roof of Manda's mouth, pinning him to the ground.

**"Orochimaru, if you ever want my assistance again, you will need mountains of sacrifices."** Manda hissed.

"I'll be sure to have them, Manda. I'm going to have to end this here." Orochimaru replied bitterly.

Orochimaru glanced out of the corner of his eye and took note of Kabuto's state. He couldn't believe that the Kyuubi brat had managed to push Kabuto as much as he had. Bringing his attention to the four people before him that ruined his day, he gave them his signature snake like grin.

"I never imagined all of you would push us this far. But I must say it wasn't a total loss, because Tsunade did in fact restore my arms to the point I can use them to perform my body switching technique." Orochimaru said.

"While that is true, you still don't have your wanted body yet. And if I'm right, this current body you are in is at the end of its rope, is it not?" Jiraiya inquired.

"That is true, Jiraiya. But I will get Uchiha Sasuke one way or the other, and when I do, I would have perfected his Sharingan to the point I will want it at."

Orochimaru gave a sinister cackle and started to sink into the ground along with Kabuto. Naruto started to charge at them but stopped when Jiraiya called out to him.

"Naruto, stop! Their time will come, but it's not now. Orochimaru could still finish you off in your current condition!" Jiraiya shouted.

"You should listen to that perverted imbecile, boy. I have more power than you do at this time, and the next time we meet, I will personally kill you with it." Orochimaru added.

"Looking forward to it." Naruto retorted.

Orochimaru gave one last chuckle before he and Kabuto vanished. There was a loud crack as Manda, too, disappeared. Naruto sealed his blade again and turned to walk back to Jiraiya, Tsunade and Shizune. However, as he started walking, his eyes rolled to the back of his head and he fell face first to the ground. The last thing he saw was Jiraiya, Tsunade and Shizune running to him. He could hear their voices fading as he lost consciousness.

"Naruto! Naruto! Na…ru…..to."

* * *

**CaptainPrice Office Omake: Happy Holidays**

CaptainPrice: Hey all, CaptainPrice here just giving you one of the crazy imaginitive omakes from the back of my head. I have some special guests with me here today.

Grimes: Hey readers, I'm Grimes Jensen Wallcroft.

Darion: I'm Darion Mograine.

Gaz: I'm Gaz Matthew Zanovich, or as you all know me as Zano.

Mac: I'm Mac Adam Compton.

Naruto: And I'm the one and only Uzumaki Naruto.

CaptainPrice: On behalf of all of us here from Shinobi of the Ebon Blade and CaptainPrice Productions, we wish you the happiest of holidays.

Gaz: Yup, Merry Christmas motherfuckers!

Grimes: Gaz, that's not how you wish people happy holidays!

Mac: Well, to his credit Grimes, Zano was given the nickname 'Grinch' because he doesn't like the holidays that much.

Naruto: Okay, the one time we gave him a lump of coal and we marked his present from Santa Claus as a joke and he goes ape shit from it.

Gaz: You sucked the holiday cheer out of me you stupid ass!

Grimes: Actually, I have the photo of him opening the present of coal in my pocket here.

CaptainPrice/Mac/Naruto/Grimes look at the photo. Gaz has an abnormally large tear the size of his head trickling down the left side of his face and he's holding a box of coal in his hands.

Mac: You know this is the first time I've seen a legit photo of Zano crying.

Gaz is off in the background loading shells into an 870MCS.

Darion: Facebook that, his squad will get a kick seeing their Sergeant crying.

Gaz: (Puts on a santa hat and cocks the 870MCS before walking towards his friends)

Grimes: Uhh, guys, we might want to run. (Starts running away)

Naruto: Why? (Turns and sees Gaz) Oh you crazy fuckin' bastard!

Gaz: Dashing through the snow, with a shotgun in my hand, shooting my friends in the ass, laughing all the way! MUAHAHAHAHAH!

CaptainPrice: Well, hope you guys enjoyed the chapter and the lame omake here. Now before Gaz blows our heads off, I'd like to wish you all a happy new year! See you next time!

* * *

**So yeah, that's the chapter guys, I know this is late and I hope you haven't had the urge to shoot me in the head. I just finished my third semester of my college career and I'm kind of concerned with how I did, but anyway, I'm on break up through January 23rd, so I'll try to get 1, maybe 2 more chapters in for this story before that time. I also had an unfortunate and sad thing happen, my Grandpa passed away unexpectedly on December 9th, so yeah. Now, without further excuses, lets move on to the points I want to make with the authors notes.**

**1.) Do you guys still want me to continue this story? (Silly question I know, but I'm just curious)**

**2.) Do you guys want me to put omake's in the story every now and then?**

**3.) This wraps up the Tsunade arc, but now there is 1 more main arc for this story before it's done, and that's the Sasuke retrieval arc. However, I'm going to put in 2 more arcs that are going to be my made up ones, the next arc will be up in the next chapter or so that will be setting grounds for the next story.**

**4.) Do you guys think I need to put more romance in the story? IE Naru/Hina, Grimes/Kurenai/Anko? I feel I put some in, but then I feel as though I don't have enough, tell me what you think.**

**5.) Not really a point. But if any of you guys play Xbox 360 and play Battlefield 3 and want to play a round with me, send me a message over Xbox live telling me where you saw the offer. My gamertag is on my profile page just the way it is no spaces in the name or anything.**

* * *

**Death Knight Abilities:**

**Frost Fever- A disease dealing Frost damage every 3 sec and reducing the target's melee and ranged attack speed by 20% for 21 sec. Caused by Icy Touch and other spells.**

**Obliterate- A brutal instant attack that deals 150% weapon damage plus a bonus. Total damage is increased by 12.5% for each of your diseases on the target.**

**Icy Touch- Chills the target for Frost damage and infects them with Frost Fever, a disease that deals periodic damage and reduces melee and ranged attack speed by 20% for 21 sec.**

**Death Coil- Fire a blast of unholy energy, causing Shadow damage to an enemy target or healing damage on a friendly Undead target.**

**Chains of Ice- Shackles the target with frozen chains, reducing movement speed by 60% for 8 sec. Also infects the target with Frost Fever.**

**Blood Boil- Boils the blood of all enemies within 10 yards, dealing Shadow damage. Deals additional damage to targets infected with Blood Plague or Frost Fever.**

**Death and Decay- ****Corrupts the ground targeted by the Death Knight, causing Shadow damage every sec that targets remain in the area for 10 sec. This ability produces a high amount of threat.**

**Hungering Cold- Frost Death Knight attack, encases the foe inside a block of ice for ten seconds.**

**Rune Strike- Frost Death Knight attack, causes up to 150% weapon damage.**

**Howling Blast- Blast the target with a frigid wind, dealing Frost damage to that foe, and Frost damage to all other enemies within 0 yards.**

**Blood Strike- Instantly strike the enemy, causing weapon damage. Damage is increased by 12.5% for each of your diseases on the target.**

**Festering Strike- An instant attack that deals weapon damage plus and increases the duration of your Blood Plague, Frost Fever, and Chains of Ice effects on the target by up to 6 sec.**

**Unbreakable Armor- The Death Knight strengthens his armor to the point it is almost impenetrable.**

* * *

**CaptainPrice story shoutouts: Give these stories a read through and give comments.**

**Changes by Mash Tactics- A modern day World of Warcraft story that I cannot wait to see updated when it is. Story starts off a little slow, but it gradually gets better, give it a chance.**

**Naruto vs Sasuke: The Aftermath by Kingkakashi- A story that starts directly after the failed Sasuke retrieval mission. Without a doubt one of the best stories I have come across for the Naruto category on fanfiction.**

**Church's Rangers by ArmedSammy123: A world of warcraft story that revolves around siblings that form an elite team known as Church's Rangers. There goal is to bring peace, but their methods of doing so a little more extreme than negotiations. I just read it last night and I found it really good, give it a chance.**

**A Shinobi's Creed by CaptainPrice- You ever wondered what would happen if Obito survived the cave in during the mission to destroy the bridge? What would happen if the war didn't end after the mission was successfully completed? Now you can read what would happen. **


	26. Consequences Learned

**Yeah, I'll save you all the trouble of the excuse at the end of the chapter here as to why this is late. I know it's short, but I believe I bring up some important points for Naruto's dismissal of consequences to using Kyuubi's power in the last chapter.**

**Bold- Inner Sakura/Kyuubi/Death Knight attacks/Summons**

**Italics-Thoughts/Letters/Flashbacks**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Naruto or WoW. I DO however own the OCs, the story, and the idea of the story itself.**

* * *

Naruto's hand twitched as he slowly began to rouse from his unconscious state. He opened his eyes and found himself staring at a ceiling with pipes crisscrossing into neighboring hallways and rooms. Scrunching his face up in confusion, he tried to recall what had happened earlier and what may have caused him to end up in his mindscape. When he couldn't think of the reason, he gave an annoyed sigh.

"Every time I always want to remember something that interests me, I never can," Naruto muttered, rubbing his eyes.

Naruto stood up gingerly and looked around the room he was in. If he was right, he was in the front of his mind and he needed to get to the center. He began to head straight to the center where Kyuubi was located behind the seal, but found it very difficult. It was as if his legs were weighed down by sand. Naruto began taking one step at a time, almost stumbling straight into the water filled floor.

"Come on legs, work with me here." Naruto growled.

Slowly but surely he was regaining easy control in his legs as he continued his trek down the main hallway. He knew he was getting closer to Kyuubi's cage because the hall was growing narrower as he progressed. Finally, Naruto entered a massive chamber with a large iron gate blocking an area at the other end of the room. The gate itself looked strong, but ironically the only thing that held it together was a large slip of paper pasted over the lock of the gate. Naruto had to admit he never thought he'd see himself in here again anytime soon, but this time he didn't really mind. The only thing that could give him the information that he was searching for was behind the gate, and that's what he came to do.

Naruto walked to the front of the gate and rested his hands on the back of his head, waiting for the familiar large blood red eyes to appear from the darkness of the cage. When they didn't come, Naruto rolled his eyes in annoyance.

"Kyuubi, wake up!" Naruto called. "I have some questions I need to ask you!"

He could hear something stir inside the cage and the water rippled as Kyuubi shifted inside the cage. After a few moments, two massive blood red eyes appeared behind the gate and looked down on Naruto, who looked right back with a cocky smirk.

"Hey there, sleeping beauty." Naruto teased.

**"You're one to talk, Naruto."** Kyuubi replied.

"What do you mean?"

**"You blacked out after your fight against Kabuto and have been unconscious for three days."**

Naruto's smirk vanished from his face as he looked at Kyuubi with some surprise.

"You're shitting me, right?" Naruto asked.

**"I would have no reason to joke about that."**

Naruto gave a sigh as he splashed down on the floor. He was still unconscious outside his mind and was probably giving Jiraiya, Tsunade and Shizune a good scare.

"What exactly caused me to blackout?" Naruto questioned. "Was it chakra exhaustion?"

**"No, it wasn't chakra exhaustion Naruto."** Kyuubi informed. **"It was the exact opposite."**

"Opposite?"

**"Your body took too much of my chakra and began to reject it. Once you went over the limit I warned you about, it put a strain on your body, shutting it down completely and almost killing you."**

"Well I won, didn't I?"

**"This is serious, Naruto! I warned you about the consequences should you use my chakra too much, and yet you went against what I said. Look what it did to you! It almost killed you!"**

Naruto was rather taken aback albeit could understand why Kyuubi was acting the way he was. The chakra overload almost killed him and if that happened, Kyuubi would have gone through a similar, if not worse fate.

"How severe was the damage to my body?" Naruto asked.

**"Now that's the question I've been waiting for you to ask,"** Kyuubi nodded. **"To be honest, I'm surprised you survived the whole ordeal."**

"Use easier terms please, professor."

**"Don't objectify me you little shit. Now to break it down for your feeble little soldier brain, this is what happened to you. Number one, all of your muscles were torn and most of your bones were broken from the stress of my chakra. Number two, I warned you about the factor that it acted like a toxin to your body when used too much in rapid succession, basically it gave you a body temperature of over 104 degrees. And the third thing is the fact that it also messed with your lifespan."**

Naruto immediately snapped to attention at the last bit of information that Kyuubi gave him. He narrowed his eyes at the thought of his life being tampered with and gave Kyuubi a look that demanded an answer. If this was similar to Zano's lifespan gamble with the bloodreaper, he was going to be pretty pissed.

"What do you mean that it messed with my lifespan?" Naruto questioned. "Does it relate to something like Zano with the bloodreaper?"

**"It mirrors Gaz's relationship with the bloodreaper, yes."** Kyuubi nodded. **"The only difference is that my power attacks your body's cells directly, destroying them in the process. Now granted cells regenerate, it's not fast enough to keep up a constant count which results in your loss of life. By going berserk on Kabuto earlier with my power Naruto, you used up about three years of life alone and the more you use it like you did in that fight, you'll lose more years of life each time."**

"I thought I could handle the power intake that you would give me. I guess I was wrong."

**"Ignorance is bliss, Naruto. Now hopefully I managed to get this information to stick into that thick skull of yours."**

Naruto gave a frustrated sigh as he processed all the information he just learned. It always seemed there was a terrible consequence for everything he tried to do to protect something. Kyuubi remained silent for a bit while he watched Naruto come to terms with how the tainted chakra messed with him. He was feeling a little regret for not telling Naruto about the danger of using his tainted chakra earlier. On the positive side of things, Naruto was right. He did defeat Kabuto with the help of the chakra which would have been impossible in the state he was in.

"Well it would have been nice to know that earlier rather than give me a brief touchdown on it during the fight." Naruto said.

**"I was just thinking the same thing and I do apologize for that, kid."** Kyuubi replied.

"It's not really your fault. I didn't listen to your warning and I'm paying for it. Oddly enough I think this is a suitable punishment for me to learn a lesson."

Kyuubi gave a light chuckle at Naruto's attempt of humor. That was one thing he liked about Naruto. No matter the situation or attitude, he would always smile or try to come up with some witty comment to lighten the mood.

**"Alright Naruto, I think it's time you woke up. You've accomplished your mission now it's time to head back to Konoha."** Kyuubi said.

"Sounds like a plan," Naruto said, standing up with a stretch.

**"Feel free to drop in a talk whenever you want, Naruto. It gets boring in here sometimes."**

"Would it kill you just to say you actually like having me around?"

"**Yes, I believe it would. Now get out of here, brat."**

Naruto began to hover in the air before being sent soaring back down the hall. It was as if a fishing hook was in his collar as he was reeled back. Kyuubi's cage vanished from sight as and the dark corridors were growing brighter with each passing second. Naruto's eyes began to squint as the light blinded him. He was now in a pure white room with a lone brown door. Not wasting any time, he walked over to the door and rested his hand on the knob. He turned the nob and opened the door to reveal a large black abyss. Naruto always hated this bit since he never got used to it. He stepped through the door and closed it behind him. Just as he did that, his stomach plummeted as he began falling into nothingness.

* * *

Naruto's eyes snapped open and he took in his surroundings. He was inside the hotel room that he and Jiraiya had occupied for the mission. He sat up slowly to avoid any possible injuries that were still tender. Looking down her could see that his hands were wrapped in bandages, as were his chest and stomach. He gave a whistle as he observed the damage he took from the fights a couple days ago. Something stirred on his right and he glanced over to Jiraiya and Shizune sitting on some chairs. Jiraiya gave a stretch and turned towards Naruto and his eyes widened in brief surprise before a smirk spread across his face.

"Well, well, look who's up." Jiraiya said.

"Heh, yeah. I'm feeling pretty good right now actually." Naruto replied.

"Not really. You look like ten miles of bad road."

"Thank you."

Naruto and Jiraiya laughed from their banter which caused Shinune's eyes to open. She looked at Naruto and rubbed her eyes to make sure she was seeing correctly. When she clarified her vision, she gave a sigh of relief. She was concerned that Naruto was going to be in a catatonic state for a little longer, but here he was sitting up and laughing.

"Good to see you're okay, Naruto-kun." Shizune said.

"Thanks, Shizune. I'm glad to see you're holding up alright too." Naruto replied.

"Are you feeling any discomfort? I can use my chakra to sooth any pain."

"Actually I'm feeling great. I'm not feeling much pain in my hands and I think my bones and cuts have been healed thanks to Kyuubi."

"That's good. Lady Tsunade will be glad to know you're alright. You had her worried."

"Heh, Granny was worried about me, eh? Speaking of her, where is she?"

"She went out to buy more sake I think." Jiraiya said.

Naruto shook his head when he heard that answer. If Tsunade continued drinking like that, her liver would be black. Giving another stretch, Naruto yawned and swung his feet out from under the covers and rested them on the floor. He pushed himself up from the bed and advanced to his bag to put on some clothes.

"Well, let's get out of here. We need to get Granny Tsunade to the hospital so she can heal those that are injured." Naruto said.

"Slow down there, brat. You just woke up and you're in no condition to travel just yet." Jiraiya said.

"As far as I'm concerned, I can suck it up and walk. I just did a second ago and I feel fine. We need to get back to Konoha as soon as possible to help those that are hurt."

Jiraiya sighed and rested his hands on his hips. He admired Naruto's determination and selflessness, but he felt Naruto's headstrong attitude could use some work. Looking Naruto up and down, he observed his injuries once more. Naruto was looking better and he was able to walk without any complications. After his mental debate, he decided to give in to his pupil's wishes. Giving another sigh he crossed his arms and a smirk came across his face.

"Okay brat, if you're that eager to get back to Konoha then we'll go as soon as Tsunade gets back. Don't expect me to carry you if you begin to feel tired and whine." Jiraiya said.

"Tch, I don't whine. How do you think I made it through my training as a Death Knight?" Naruto replied.

"Good point."

A knock came from the door before it opened. Tsunade entered the room holding a large bottle of unopened sake. Her eyes landed on the bed Naruto was lying on previously and she began to search for him. She finally looked at the blonde after locating him by Jiraiya. Tsunade blinked to make sure she was seeing properly before walking over to Naruto. She stopped in front of him and glanced at the injuries he obtained from his battle with Kabuto. She was relieved to see he was up and walking once again, but that didn't stop her from what she did next. She brought her fist back and brought it down on top of Naruto's head. Naruto felt as though his eyes went popping out of their sockets as Tsunade punched him.

"Ouch! Damn-it, Granny, what the hell was that for?" Naruto demanded with a glare.

"For making me worry, brat!" Tsunade replied.

"Did you really have to punch me?"

"Yes, because that's what you can look forward to receiving if you do anything reckless like that again."

"I'll keep that in mind."

* * *

Jiraiya, Tsunade, Naruto and Shizune had left Tanuzaku City and were returning to Konoha. They agreed to leave after Naruto managed to prove to Tsunade that he was able to move without support. She had been a little hesitant at first but decided to comply with Naruto's decision to head back instead of waiting for a couple of days so he could recover. Tsunade knew that alongside being sworn in as Hokage she also had to do work with injured shinobi in the hospital. Turning to glance back at Naruto, she decided to ask him what she would be facing.

"How many shinobi have been injured that require my help?" Tsunade asked.

"A lot. One of them happens to be my brother." Naruto replied.

"Wait, you have a sibling?"

"Not my true sibling, he adopted me when I was younger."

"I see. I'll be looking forward to meeting him."

Naruto nodded and fell silent upon answering Tsunade. As they continued walking, he suddenly remembered the other bit of the bet. A large grin spead across Naruto's face as he looked at Tsunade. She saw Naruto's grin and she raised an eyebrow at the sight. For some reason she had the feeling that the grin on Naruto's face was going to lead to something she wouldn't enjoy.

"What's got you so happy?" Tsunade asked.

"Well I won our bet. So hand over the necklace, Granny." Naruto said.

"You mean this necklace, brat?"

Tsunade pulled the necklace out from her collar and glared at Naruto. Naruto nodded and held out his hand. She walked over to him and tucked it back in her shirt. She glared down at Naruto and was met with a similar look.

"Okay brat, if you want this necklace you're going to have to take it from me." Tsunade said.

"Well fine, let's go!" Naruto replied, pulling out a kunai.

Tsunade had her fist drawn back and Naruto stopped dead. He closed his eyes and waited for the blow to come, but it didn't. He felt his hand being opened and something being placed inside of it. Cracking on of his eyes open, he could see the necklace. Naruto gave a sigh of relief when he managed to escape the wrath of another vicious punch from Tsunade.

"Be sure to take care of that," Tsunade said, smiling gently.

"I will, Granny. I know how much this necklace means to you." Naruto replied.

Naruto put the necklace on and tucked it under his shirt. He was surprised when he felt Tsunade's lips touch his forehead. She stood up and continued to walk down the road once again. Jiraiya and Shizune followed with Naruto close behind. As they were walking, Tsunade glanced back at Naruto and her thoughts went to Nawaki and Dan.

_"Nawaki, Dan, your dream still lives on in the young man I see before me. If anything, maybe he'll be the one to make your dreams a reality."_ Tsunade thought.

* * *

**Short, I know. Not much of the chapter a lot of you may have been hoping for, but it will pick up again later. I'm getting ready to do the story arc that's non cannon that I created and it will be before the Sasuke Retrieval Arc. Now with regards as to WHEN I will do it... I don't know. The reason why this is almost a year late is because I was honestly just Naruto'd out and feeling very demotivated to write the next chapter here. My main goal was to reach the level of Kingkakashi, Kenchi618, Narutoenthusiast, VFSNAKE, etc. However, I have not prevailed in doing so. **

**I don't mean to toot my own horn here, but the story here has 360 reviews, 220,517 hits, 24 C2s, 526 Favs and 493 Alerts. Now I'm stoked to have stats like that, but I just felt as though I failed in garnering the attention I hoped I could. Out of all of those alerts and favs I only get 10-12 reviews, whereas the authors I mentioned get 50+ a chapter. Now I know that I probably have no chance in hell to match their level but it would be nice. I'm still continuing the story, but I'm very busy this year since I'm entering my second semester of my Junior year and I'll be very busy this summer as well for reasons I won't explain now. All I'm saying is that the story will go on, but it will be when I can click into it. Anyway, enough with my rant and I hope that this surprise chapter was a nice Christmas Chapter for you all. So have a good Christmas and I'll try to update again sometime sooner.**

**CaptainPrice story shoutouts: Give these stories a read through and give comments.**

**Changes by Mash Tactics- A modern day World of Warcraft story that I cannot wait to see updated when it is. Story starts off a little slow, but it gradually gets better, give it a chance.**

**Naruto vs Sasuke: The Aftermath by Kingkakashi- A story that starts directly after the failed Sasuke retrieval mission. Without a doubt one of the best stories I have come across for the Naruto category on fanfiction.**


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